The Lost Rebellion
by Dynared21
Summary: A people oppressed like the Alteans, the Drule, have come to the Paladins asking for help in their shared struggle. But what is the true motivation of their leader? And do their goals truly align, or are they merely the first step to unleashing something far worse?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

In front of the old ruins the masked figure looked on, two guards flanking the man in blue and white armor. The armor its best to shield the man from the cold air and the sharp winds that occasionally blew through. The drab gray skies accented this as they stood before the once proud temple, its worshippers scattered generations prior when the Galra bombardments destroyed most of the planet. Seas were boiled, the ground was cracked, and the weather was damaged, a damage that the planet itself had only begun to mend. Even though the air was breathable, the planet itself was still far too hostile to support life for any period of time.

That the temple still stood among the ruin was a monument to the endurance of their people, as well as the frustration that they could not be freed from the tyranny of the Galra.

As several men stood watch outside, the masked figure journeyed into the center of the temple. Before cracked and broken statues and seats, a massive mirror stood, undamaged and pristine. Kneeling before it, the man spoke in a low voice, clearly altered by a machine.

"Overlord Zeppo. I have come here on word of your good news."

The mirror shined a radiant blue light, and from its reflection emerged the face of a man, his skin a grayish-blue and his white beard perfectly kept. The being's cold white eyes looked down on the kneeling figure as he offered a smile.

 _I bring good news to the Drule Kingdom, my disciple._

"Dare I ask if you have the power to send us Devilscourge?" the man asked, not daring to look up at the image of the Overlord.

 _No, not yet. You lack the quintessence to breach the barrier between my world and yours for something that powerful. But there is a potential new ally that if you can bring to your cause, can bring the Quintessence needed to break this barrier and allow the Drule victory over the Galra. Raise your head, my disciple, and behold!_

Looking up at the mirror, the face of Zeppo was replaced by the image of a gigantic robot destroying Galra ships and battling the Empire's Robeasts. The masked figure recognized it from old tales when they were children. These tales were told to countless children, across numerous galaxies, all speaking of the same champion.

"Voltron?"

 _Voltron has returned from wherever it was hidden,_ Zeppo said, his face replacing the images of Voltron that went across the mirror prior. _It is under the command of new Paladins and as we speak battles Zarkon and his forces. The new Paladins have already won several small victories against the forces of Zarkon._

The masked figure nodded, seeing where the conversation was going.

"I know what I must do. Voltron will help us defeat the Galra, and help us gain the Quintessence we need to summon Devilscourge. Only then can we defeat Zarkon once and for all."

 _Then go forth and do what needs to be done. I will wait, as I have done for countless generations, for the Drule to succeed in their fated quest. Go my disciple, and make your ancestors proud._

The face of Zeppo vanished from the mirror, but in its wake the armored man felt something he had not permitted himself to feel in the struggle he had inherited from his parents and their parents before. Hope.

As he walked out of the temple, the two soldiers who stood guard ran to the masked figure, shielding their eyes from another wind gust.

"Your orders Highness?"

"We depart at once," the man said, walking towards the shuttlecraft that had brought him to the surface. "We must find Voltron."

"Voltron?" one of the guards asked. "The old legend?"

"The 'old legend' is very real," he began, "and is once again fighting the Galra Empire. We must recruit the new Paladins to our side.

"If Voltron is fighting the Galra, then finding it should not prove to be difficult."

The three boarded the shuttlecraft, departing from the ruined planet that gave the masked figure, the last of the Bladeknights, a twinge of hope every time she returned to it. Soon, however, she was aboard her cruiser, a stolen Galra battleship manned by Drule men and women. As soon as she boarded, one of the helmsmen spoke to her.

"We received your transmission, your Highness," the helmsman said. "And we've come across a battle between Galra forces and a machine that appears to be a direct match for Voltron. The old legend has returned!"

"Set course for that battle," the masked figure said, sitting down on a chair at the center of the bridge. "We will provide support to Voltron against the Galra forces. From there, we can turn our attention to long term matters."

"Of course your Highness. Setting course now."

Hope was a fleeting thing, and it had been too long since their people had been able to feel it. He dared not reveal the full extent of his plan for that reason.

He didn't want to give the Drule hope only for it to be taken away again.


	2. New Allies

"Three fighters, 9 o'clock!"

"Got em!"

A powerful claw swipe collided with the three Galra fighter craft, sending them careening before they exploded in the depths of space. A similar situation played out numerous times, with fighter wings attempting to take down the massive robot and failing. From the bridge of the Galra battleship, its commander noticed the pattern.

"Our fighters are ineffective. Are the trio ready yet?"

"The Cyclops unit is ready sir!" a helmsman said before turning his attention to the screen.

"Recall all fighter craft. Cyclops Unit, launch!"

The retreat of the fighters from the battlefield was a welcome sight to Lance, who couldn't help but taunt the fleeing enemy.

"That's what you get!" he shouted. "That's what you get!"

"I don't think they're done with us just yet," Shiro said. Pidge concurred.

"He's right. The battleship hasn't left the area. Look!"

From the bow of the battleship emerged three humanoid machines with single eyes, black in color, with massive jet engines on their legs. Two drew large metal swords while one held a bazooka. Immediately it fired, the shell hitting Voltron as the other two dashed forward, its strikes barely parried by Voltron's own sword.

"The Galra are getting smarter about this!" Keith said, even as he focused on the enemy coming around for another pass.

"Well," Hunk said, "they weren't going to stand still while we kept liberating planets!"

The three machines attacked again, this time the two sword carrying robots striking first, their strikes deflected. Keith was able to strike one in its leg, but as it limped away, another missile strike from the third machine hit Voltron, sending it reeling.

"Keith!" Lance yelled. "Watch that third strike!"

"That's on you!" Keith shot back. "The first two are a distraction! Hunk, ideas!"

"Yeah, let's engage from a distance!" Hunk said as Voltron began flying away from the three machines. Drawing its own cannon via Hunk's bayard, Voltron fired at the trio of machines, which quickly scattered in their own directions.

"Now we zero in on…"

 **BOOM!**

Hunk's plan was interrupted by several fighter jets that closed in and struck at Voltron with cannon fire, causing it to stop dead in its tracks and readjust to the new group of enemies. This was exactly the distraction the twin sword-wielding Robeasts needed, charging forward to deliver a decisive blow.

"Units at 3:00!"

"Allies or enemies?"

 **BLAM!**

The cannon fire that struck the two Robeasts answered Hunk's question as a squadron of fighter craft flew off from the targets, allowing the Yellow Paladin to blast the two Robeasts apart with his cannon. Fleeing the blasts, the two were nevertheless struck in the leg and arm, respectively, forced to hobble away as they would be easy prey for Voltron, attempting to get some distance before trying again.

The third machine did not stand still while this was occurring. Instead, it charged directly at Voltron, blade ready to strike. Amidst the chaos approaching them, the Paladins steeled themselves for the approaching blow.

 **CLANG!**

The blade of the enemy Robeast was countered not by Voltron, but by a new machine that flew in between the two. The mecha, equal in size to Voltron and the Robeast, stood in opposition to the Paladin's enemy.

"You will not triumph this day Galra!" a voice spoke from the machine, or rather, broadcasted into the Paladins communication systems. Raising its sword, a saber with the emblem of an eagle on its hilt, the machine struck the Robeast on its shoulder, damaging its arm. Rather than fight a losing battle, it began to fly off, two fighter craft covering its escape.

"Pilot!" Shiro said through his communicator. "Identify yourself!"

"I am an ally," the voice responded, its tone masked by a machine to sound deep and masculine, its actual occupant unknowable. "All will be explained in time. We would like to have you as guests aboard our flagship, the _Drule's Hope_ , to explain."

"Why should we trust you?" Pidge asked.

"My forces saved you from the Robeasts, did they not?"

Rolling his eyes, Hunk said, "he's got us there."

"We will meet with your envoy," Shiro said. "But we must first confer with our own command structure."

"You mean the Princess?" Pidge asked.

"Yeah, but he doesn't need to know that."

"Take all the time you need," the voice replied, even as the machine raced back towards the battlefield. "But first, let us deal with theGalra remnant."

* * *

Sir! Unknown enemy is assisting the Paladins!"

From the bridge of the main Galra battlecruiser, the commander wiped his brow at the complete ruination of his plans. Flustered, he did the only thing that made sense to him.

"Order a full retreat of our forces! Voltron's new allies may have caught us off guard, but if we fight another day we will be able to avenge this ambush!"

"Yes Commander Yurak!"

* * *

The last of the ships fled into the void an hour prior, including the three Robeasts that had attacked Voltron. Now Allura and the five Paladins stood on board the bridge of the _Drule's Hope,_ a large wing-shaped battleship bristling with cannons. The bridge was decked out with a noticeable emblem, a mirror with the sun on it, adorning flags and equipment. Lance had one word to describe the proceedings.

"Formal."

"Extremely," Allura replied, walking towards a white table with twenty seats. Placing themselves at one end, the group sat down, waiting for their host.

"What's their angle?" Keith asked. "No one fights off an enemy armada for free."

"No, they don't," Shiro said. "They want something in return, obviously."

"Muscle?" Hunk said, his suggestion mulled over by Shiro and Allura.

"Possibly. They might have an issue where Voltron would tip the scales."

"It stands that we have a common enemy," Pidge said, "so maybe their goals align with our own."

"Possible," Allura replied, "but not guaranteed. I will not see Voltron used as a weapon in a petty regional struggle, or the muscle of a local warlord."

"I wouldn't agree to it," Keith said.

"Depends on who was asking," Lance replied. "Allura, anyone you want to see beaten up?"

"Just one rather annoying man wearing blue."

The train of thought of the group was interrupted as several guards flanked a figure covered head to toe in blue and silver armor, a sword held in a scabbard at their side.

"Greetings, Paladins of Voltron," the figure began, the same voice distortion from prior disguising the armored figure's identity. "I am Merla, ruler of the Drule and last of the Drule Bladeknights."

"No," Shiro said, standing up.

"No? What is this?"

"If we're going to speak as allies, then we need to put all our cards on the table," Shiro said, removing his helmet. Motioning to the other Paladins, they did the same, placing them on the table. "I want to know who I'm speaking with."

"This is fair," the masked figure began. "Although I trust my identity will not dissuade you from speaking to me as an equal."

"Depends," Shiro said.

Nodding, the figure removed the helmet, revealing long green hair, and more notably, that the Bladeknight was a "she." The other Paladins stood in silence, Keith offering a smile at the sight while Lance nearly wolf-whistled, only to stop himself when Shiro looked on.

"My beauty entrances you, does it not Paladins?" Merla said, her voice soft and melodic. "But I fear that the last Bladeknight would be less respected if people knew her true identity."

"That's ridiculous," Keith said, his outburst surprising Hunk and Pidge as they looked on. "You led a charge single handed against a Galra fleet. It doesn't matter if you're male or female."

"Some would disagree. As the last of the Bladeknights, and Queen of the Drule, I must lead by example."

"The Drule," Allura began, looking on at the unmasked Merla. "Reports I found indicated that you were wiped out."

"As were the Alteans, correct Allura?"

Allura nodded, conceding the point.

"Drule itself still exists, unlike Altea, but its fate was no less horrific." Staring at the emblem on the flag on the wall, Merla recounted her tale.

"The Galra knew that the Drule intelligence network and armada could pose a threat to their plans of conquest. However, since they could not destroy Drule, they rendered it uninhabitable. Eons before I was born, Zarkon's fleet boiled the oceans of Drule and cracked its ground, creating a wasteland that has only now begun to recover from the ecological upheaval. Even so, it is still virtually uninhabitable due to the violent weather and lack of water."

The Paladins looked on intently, all too familiar with the path of destruction the Galra had inflicted on the unsuspecting galaxy. Allura offered a solemn nod at Merla's story, before returning to the matter at hand.

"Why us?"

"As you can see," Merla said, "the Drule are no match for the Galra in our current state. The fleet is a few rag-tag ships scattered across the galaxy. The Fox Sword that I pilot is the last surviving Bladeknight armor. We lack the resources needed to battle the Galra on equal footing. But with Voltron having returned…we can strike the Galra where they will reel!"

Merla's tone when describing the vengeance she would inflict upon the Galra was excited, alarming to Hunk and Pidge, but Keith continued to stare intently. If the pair didn't know better, they would have described it as infatuation.

Lance, of course, was making his infatuation noticeable to all but the blind.

"Someone as beautiful as you can't face the Galra alone! As a Paladin of Voltron, I promise that we can…

"LANCE!"

Shiro's forceful yell caused Lance to sit down before he could proclaim his love to the queen, while he asserted himself.

"How can we help? And what would you offer us?"

Merla smiled. "You are wise, Black Paladin. The armies of the Drule are ragtag, but we still possess the best intelligence network in the known universe. We can pinpoint exactly where key Galra positions are, and point out the best ways to disable their war engine. You, in turn, possess great power, but it is undirected. We can direct that power."

Allura looked on at the proposal of the woman sitting in front of them, examining her points, and measuring them against the fact that she knew precious little about Queen Merla or the Drule. Still, given their limited resources, it was clear the decision that had to be made.

"We will work with you," Allura said, "on a limited basis."

"You don't trust me, do you?" Merla asked. "We're the same, you and I. Altea, Drule, victims of Zarkon all the same. No family, no heirs, means that our royal lines end with us."

"There's no king?" Keith asked, causing Lance to stare at the Red Paladin with a slight sense of annoyance.

"No, there is not," Merla replied. "My identity is kept hidden in battle, and my people are too scattered for me to be any sort of consistent public figure. I have no king, and no heirs."

"We will work with you," Allura said, a slight twinge in her eye presenting itself when Keith asked about a king, but one subtle enough to hide from the rest of the group. "What would you have us do?"

"Now we're getting somewhere," Merla said, before turning her attention to a hologram in the center of the table.

"This planet is the home of the anti-Voltron task force that has been hunting you, and the one that we followed to find you. It's also the home of a very large refinery for Quintessence. I trust you're able to put my plan together."

"We strike the people hunting us down, and disable their key supply line," Pidge said.

"Correct, Green Paladin. Their fleet is probably returning there to resupply. If we strike now, they will be weakened."

"The Lions suffered damage as well though," Hunk said. "They probably won't be ready for at least a cycle, or a day. Whatever time measurement you people use."

"A day," Merla began, "in the timeframe, you're using is the time it takes the Earth to rotate once. That's approximately 1.05 Drule cycles. No longer than that. Then we must strike, and without Voltron, we cannot succeed." Shiro nodded.

"We'll make the preparations."

The Paladins all walked out, with Keith offering Merla a brief look back, one that the queen of the Drule returned with a smile. The twinge on Allura's eyebrow presented itself again, still too subtle for anyone to truly notice. As they filed out, Merla looked at a masked soldier.

"Tell me Khybon, do you believe I am getting old?"

"What are you saying Your Highness?" the flustered soldiered asked.

"Just that maybe I should be looking for a king, and an heir."

"Don't be ridiculous Your Highness," the soldier said. "You have a great deal of time left."

"Were we not at war, that would be true. But when any battle could be my last," she continued, putting on the blue and silver helmet she left on the table, "time becomes a luxury."

* * *

"An angel of mercy in a blue outfit lends us her fleet to fight the Galra, and she's single! What's the problem here again?"

"That the fleet emerged from nowhere," Allura said, "when all records show the Drule were wiped out by the Galra to the point there are no records of even refugees. Something about this seems…wrong."

"Merla didn't seem to be happy about broadcasting her identity," Keith added. "Maybe she was staying hidden so the Galra couldn't finish the job."

"Possible. Still, I advise caution."

"Caution?" Lance asked. "You act like she's going to betray us. She wouldn't have put her own ass on the line to fight personally otherwise."

"Perhaps."

"Allura's reservations are valid," Shiro said, "but none are dealbreakers. We can't spurn a potential ally when we have so few. Coran, what do you know about the Drule?"

"Just that the ones I knew were often poor card players," Coran said. "Easy enough to take them for a ride."

Prolonged staring from the Paladins caused Coran to adjust his story.

"Well, I meant more that, well…they were a loyal and trustworthy people, dedicated to a single cause. If most were wiped out by the Galra, the survivors have probably dedicated all their remaining resources to push back."

"So you think we should work with them?"

"If they came to us for help, then they need us. And if they can help us figure out what to hit, then we're better off than trying to fight blind."

The other Paladins nodded their agreement, and soon Allura did as well, albeit with a continued sense of reluctance.

"I wish I could be as trusting," Allura said. "I should be able to emphasize more than anyone with the horror the Drule have undergone. But I cannot help but feel worrisome."

* * *

Looking at the footage from the battle, the Galra commander called Yurak breathed heavily in his seat, his hands folded underneath his chin in contemplation.

"That machine, I recognize it. Vaguely."

"Orders, sir?"

"Have our men run a database search for the machine that aided Voltron. Something doesn't seem right about this whole affair."

"And of Voltron itself?"

"Cyclops team performed admirably against the Paladins. In our next battle, they will emerge triumphantly."

"And until then?"

"We resupply, we rest, and then we search for our quarry once again."


	3. Test of Worth

The soldiers at the base slept as best they could, waiting for the inevitable call to hunt down the enemies of the Galra. They were as secure as possible inside the large metal cylinders that acted as the barracks of the base, the planet itself otherwise stripped bare save the factories that stood in place of cities.

They were completely unaware of the men and women sneaking into position, preparing to strike at the base, presumably because none of them ever expected an enemy to be so brazen as to attack a symbol of the Galra's military might.

"Paladins," Allura said as she looked on at the screens aboard the Castle of Lions. "Are you in position?"

"All units are in position," Shiro said, "according to the Drule layouts. We are waiting for Merla to signal the attack."

A second monitor opened, showing Merla's face looking on at a device in her hand.

"The initial explosives have been planted. Once I detonate them, the troops will come out through this entrance to face myself, and the Red Paladin. The Black Paladin will lead the charge at a vulnerable area on the opposite side of the base with the other Paladins, and the forces in the base will be confused and disoriented.

"I'm ready when you are Merla," Keith added.

"Same here," Shiro said. "We haven't been noticed yet, and are awaiting your signal to engage."

A minute or so went past, Allura staring at the monitors all the while as she waited. Acting as an overseer and coordinator for the battle was a common role for her, but with so much of the plan hinging on someone she had never met before, she felt less easy about it than before. She would rather have been on the field in battle but lacked a machine capable of doing so.

"Are you alright Princess?"

"I'm fine Coran," Allura assured the mustachioed Altean. "Sometimes, however, I wish I had my own machine to aid the Paladins directly."

"Nonsense, your Highness! You are the captain of this starship! You are the heart and soul of this team! The Paladins require more than the claws and teeth of the lions! They need that heart to guide them!"

"So you think I'm worrying too much about Merla then?"

"I think you're better off monitoring her up here," Coran said. "If she tries anything, you'll know immediately."

Allura was relaxed by Coran's encouraging words, but as quickly as she was calmed, she was bought back to reality by the words from the monitor.

"Commence attack!"

Explosions rattled the base, jolting Galra from their beds, and annihilating both men and machinery all around the barracks. Hurriedly, soldiers began to draw weapons and prepared to march to face the enemy.

When they went to the front gate, they found a masked man, his helmet completely covering his face, staring at the platoon.

"Hands up!" one of the soldiers shouted. "Or we will fire!"

The masked man did as he was told, with another soldier working his way through the crowd.

"Any last words?"

The masked man nodded at this request.

"EAGLE SWORD!"

A blinding light enveloped the group as the masked figure leaped into the air, while a machine began to form around them. When the light faded, no longer was a single masked warrior before them, but a towering machine colored blue and white, wielding a massive sword with the emblem of an eagle.

"Keith, now!"

Leaping above the machine was another unexpected surprise, the Red Lion. From its mouth emerged a massive beam of energy, which blasted the Galra troops, sending the few that survived scrambling for cover.

"What do we do?"

"Shoot it, you idiot!"

The surviving men did so but found small arms fire ineffective against the giant robotic lion. More importantly, while they attacked it, Merla was free to strike at the undamaged barracks, crushing them with her sword.

"Good work, Red Paladin!" Merla shouted from her machine, the communication between the two using their natural voices instead of the masked voice projected to the Galra.

"Thanks. You're pretty good at this yourself."

"Practice, Red Paladin. I've been trained since birth to fight the Galra. When we're done, I'll show you some of what I've learned!"

"Then let's make sure we can get to that!"

A similar situation was occurring on the opposite side of the base as tanks and fighter craft found themselves unable to launch, the ones undamaged by the initial explosions tore apart by the Lions before their crews could board them. Watching the Galra flee their destroyed equipment, Lance couldn't help but laugh.

"How do you like me now? Huh?"

"Stay focused Lance," Shiro replied. "You know they won't let it be that easy."

"Come on!" Lance boasted. "What can they possibly throw at us at that we aren't ready for?"

* * *

"That machine that aided the Paladins! And the Lions of Voltron? All here?"

"Orders Commander Yurak?"

Looking on at the screens showing the massive amount of damage the base had taken, Yurak grimaced. Turning to his subordinate, he asked: "What's the status of Cyclops Team?"

"The Robeasts hangar is undamaged so far, sir! But the repairs are not yet complete!"

"Fine!" Yurak said. "Prepare Cyclops Team to sortie!"

"But…"

"No buts! I'll be joining them in my own Robeast!"

"The Gallwhip?"

"Don't worry about the name, soldier, GET IT READY FOR BATTLE!" Yurak shouted, walking out of the command room to the underground hangar.

* * *

"We've seemed to have crippled the enemies defenses," Hunk said. "What gives?"

"This is a bad thing?" Lance asked.

"Hunk's right," Pidge said. "It's too easy. I'm expecting something a lot worse to come out and attack any minute now."

Pidge's prediction proved accurate as numerous holes in the ground began to open, revealing metallic pipes. From them, four machines leapt into the air, three black machines that the Paladins recognized from the day prior, still showing damage from the fight, and one machine in a bright red, its head with two glowing green eyes and wielding what appeared to be a whip with bladed edges on each piece of it.

"Split up and engage the Lions! I'll take out the new machine!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Two of the one-eyed machines landed in front of the four lions, one wielding a rifle and the other the same blade from prior. The blade-armed machine stepped forward first."

"You made a mistake coming here, Paladins!"

"Wouldn't be the first time I have," Lance said. "Doesn't mean we can't kick your butts!"

"Try me!"

The machine leaped for the Blue Lion, only to be stopped when the Green and Yellow lines both struck from the sides, thick jaws piercing the already damaged arms of the machine. However, precise blasts from the other machine's rifle shot them off, allowing the blade-armed machine the opportunity to strike.

"I'm ready for you!"

A powerful sonic blast fired from a formed machine on top of the Blue Lion, driving back the bladed machine. However, it stood again, preparing to strike."

"Hmmph!" the voice from the red machine said, rather arrogant in its tone, "a rebel and her pet. Are you the Lions of Voltron, or just dogs?"

"Well, this dog has fangs!"

Keith and the Red Lion lunged towards the machine and its pilot, prepared to attack, when a powerful bazooka shot impacted directly on the Red Lion, sending it flying.

"Nice work."

"No problem Commander Yurak. I'll deal with the Red Lion. You take on the Bladeknight."

As her opponent drew its whip, Merla drew her sword in kind to Yurak's machine, both preparing to strike.

"Yes, a Drule Bladeknight," Yurak said. I thought we wiped the last of these things out centuries ago."

"You thought wrong," Merla answered, her voice masked to the enemy. "So long as one Bladeknight lives, the Drule fight on."

"An error," Yurak said he swung his whip at Merla, "I intend to correct! Yah!"

The whip of Yurak's machine swung at Merla's, which deflected it with the swing of its sword. Shining brightly, the eagle emblem faced Yurak, who from within the cockpit of the Robeast, smiled.

"You were a fool to come here!" Yurak said, retracting his whip until each section formed a broadsword that his Robeast held in one hand. "But your stupidity is my gain. Capturing both Voltron and the last Bladeknight will see my promotion to Admiral!"

"You haven't captured anything yet," Merla shot back. "Eagle Sword will destroy you!"

"Funny," Yurak replied. "That machine looks like Fox Sword. Either way, you're finished, Bladeknight!"

"What do you know of the Bladeknights, Galra?!" Merla replied as Eagle Sword lunged forward, meeting the sword of Yurak's Robeast.

"Only that the Galra killed them all! You will be no exception!"

* * *

Far from the battlefield where the Lions and Eagle Sword were, explosions had ripped through numerous security posts, with the scattered security forces routed by attacks from fighter craft and additional explosions that rattled anything of value.

"The fleet is keeping the Galra warships busy," a fighter pilot said even as he strafed a Galra artillery position. "How are things on the ground?"

"Fine at the refineries," a voice replied. "Teams are gathering all the available Quintessence and preparing it for shipment. Just keep them off our backs until we clean them out."

"Will do."

Recovering from the blast, Keith flew out of the way of the machine before it could fire again, joining up with the other Lions. The Paladins realized what needed to be done the second the trio of one-eyed machines stood in front of them.

"FORM VOLTRON!"

"Stop them from combining!"

"About that…"

A blast from the Green Lion fired at the trio, but instead of hitting directly, vines on the ground started to grow and form around the machines. By the time they had been dealt with, the combined form of Voltron stood before them.

"We knew we were going to need to face them! There's only one of him, and three of us! We've trained for months for this!"

"Right!"

Two of the machines retreated, aiming their weapons, while the blade armed machine rushed forward to charge Voltron. Rather than draw its own blade, Voltron leapt into the air, kicking the first Robeast, and forming its cannon on its shoulders.

"Gotcha!"

Hunk's voice echoed as several beams of energy fired from the cannon, destroying the weapons of the two Robeasts meant to provide cover. Leaping over the trio of machines, Voltron landed on both its feet with the grace of the cats its components were modeled after.

From within Hunk's cockpit, the beeping of the monitor confirmed the computer locked onto three targets. With one press of the trigger, three beams struck each machine, consuming two of the already damaged machines in fire and knocking the third down.

"At this distance I can't miss!"

A massive beam of energy struck the damaged machine, destroying it utterly. With the trio dealt with, the cannon disappeared, Voltron flying to where Merla and the enemy were engaged in a duel of swords.

"You're good, for a dead man piloting a relic. But against the latest in Galra technology, not good enough! HUYAH!"

The bladed whip struck the unprepared torso of Eagle Sword, sending it and Merla crashing to the ground. With the blade raised to deliver a critical blow, Yurak's machine swung at the prone target.

 **CLANG!**

A blade came between Yurak's blow. Looking up, the Galra commander realized who the interfering machine was. Seeing Voltron, Yurak began dashing away from Eagle Sword, keeping a safe distance between it and the two enemy machines.

"Your machines are scrap metal," Shiro said, looking on at Yurak's mecha. "And your forces have been routed. Give up."

"Give up? You invaded my home, Paladins! I will not yield it so easily!"

The whip of Yurak's machine slashed and cracked towards Voltron, the Paladins using their sword to deflect its blows. However, the constant cracks and strikes kept them on the defensive the entire tme.

"We need an opening!" Lance said.

As the whip swung out again, the blade of Voltron struck the whip, sending it skywards and off-balancing the enemy machine. Desperately looking for an opening, Voltron leapt forwards, slashing the blade out of Yurak's hands.

"You're beaten Yurak," Merla said as her machine stood to its feet, Eagle Sword in hand. "Give up."

"This would appear to be an unfortunate situation for me," Yurak said. "But I know when to retreat."

"No!" Merla shouted, but a thick cloud of smoke covered Yurak's robot as she swung forward to strike. The blade impacted with nothing, their opponent gone.

"I had him!"

"Technically," Pidge said, "we had him," only for Keith and Lance to shush her.

"Geez guys, she had a point."

"Thanks Hunk," Pidge said. "Nice to know someone has my back."

"Be that as it may," Merla said, "the Galra have retreated. We have won the day and crippled a major troop transportation hub. The Drule can use this to pinpoint more enemy installations and cripple them."

"Sounds like a plan," Keith said. "We should probably head back to the Castle for now."

"Yes, but do join us later. We would like to have you on board the _Drule's Hope,_ to cement a longer-term partnership.

"Sounds good," Shiro said, right as Voltron flew off, splitting into its five lions once it cleared the atmosphere. Now standing alone among the rubble, Merla looked on at a screen in front of her.

"Report."

 _All the Quintessence has been gathered while the remaining Galra left with their commander. The mission was a complete success._

"We appear to have Voltron to thank for that. The enemy's strongest forces were scattered while our true objective was taken."

 _Deliver the Quintessence to Drule?_

"Immediately. Take what you need for the troops first."

Looking out at the horizon, Merla smiled. Soon, she would have Devilscourge, and the true work of dismantling the Galra could begin.

* * *

"Perhaps my misgivings about Queen Merla were overthought," Allura said. "And she invited us to a party as well. How…generous of her."

The five Paladins stood before Allura, sweating from the battle, but otherwise unharmed. What had been a sense of triumph soon turned to concern as Allura voiced her greivances.

"You still don't trust her?" Keith asked.

"Trust has nothing to do with it," Allura said. "Given how easily everything went up here, I just wish we had found her and the Drule earlier. Had we, maybe we could have avoided a lot of the tragedy that seemed to follow."

"So then…"

"What's in the past is in the past," Allura said. "Now if you're going to appear before foreign dignitaries, I trust you'll at least shower before doing so," she added, smirking all the while.

"That's the princess I know and love!" Lance said, reaching to embrace Allura before she placed the tip of her staff on Lance's torso, keeping him a considerable distance.

"You especially Lance. That odor is beyond foul."

* * *

The small fleet of Galra warships had taken everything that they could have that wasn't nailed down. Men, machines, and supplies were all hastily gathered in the midst of the confused and chaotic retreat. No one had realized what had been lost more than Yurak, who stood in front of his command console with a look of anguish on his face.

"I will never hear the end of it," Yurak said aloud.

"Sir! Call from Central! They say it's regarding a request you put in two days ago!"

Raising his hand to signal his acceptance of the call, a hologram of a Galra officer appeared where the screen was merely moments prior. The officer bowed his head before beginning.

"Commander Yurak, the request you had placed, regarding the origin of that machine that aided the Paladins?"

"Where were you hours ago?" Yurak asked. "They struck again and took down an entire garrison!"

"Well, sir," the officer continued, "we found their origin. You will want to hear this."

"That's debatable."

"The machine is a one of the Order of the Fang, specifically one of the members who broke off with the Drule Empire."

"The Drule Empire had a Bladeknight? The Bladeknights were wiped out ages ago," Yurak said.

"This particular unit was never accounted following the battle between the Galra and the forces of Zeppo."

Yurak scoffed hearing this. "Zeppo is a myth. A boogeyman made to keep children afraid at night of mirrors."

"Zeppo was real, sir. It's why Drule was so thoroughly devastated. If a machine related to Zeppo and the Drule exists, it could involve forces attempting to organize his return."

Yurak looked at the officer dumbfounded. Why would the Paladins help Zeppo? If the tales were true, what type of power have they stumbled upon?

"This is out of my realm of understanding."

"I know Commander. It's why tomorrow you and I have a meeting set with Haggar."

"Haggar?!"

"I wouldn't bother the head of the Druids normally," the officer began, "but she is the only one who would have actual knowledge of Zeppo outside of rumor and heresay."

Sighing heavily, Yurak nodded. "Course will be altered. I will meet you tomorrow…"

"Taizon, sir. My name is Taizon."

"Right," Yurak said, pressing a button and ending the communication. What had he stumbled upon? And why did they need to involve that witch? Well he knew why that was necessary, but it didn't make it any more appealing.

"I'm going to my quarters," Yurak said. "I need to do some studying."

"Yes sir."


	4. Proposals

**Chapter 3 – Proposals**

The main hall of the _Drule's Hope_ had a festive mood as men and women spoke confidently, exchanging stories and drinks as others looked on. Each of the Paladins did their best to exchange small talk with the various people in the hall, with some admittedly having an easier time than others.

"Well you would think it would be hard, but then you just get in there, and everything comes naturally! I mean everything! And your name was?"

"How natural was it that time you got tied to a tree after a girl tried taking your lion for a joyride!"

"Ok, Pidge, that is NOT fair and you know it! We've all had…setbacks. Where's Keith? I want to point out to our hosts all the screw-ups he's had!"

The Drule men and women around Lance hung on his words, but Lance's swagger soon left when Pidge shook her head.

"Haven't seen him. I think he's off doing…something else."

"Define something else."

Pidge said nothing, instead choosing to flag down a waiter holding a tray of drinks. Grabbing a red glass, she sipped its contents while never releasing the smug grin from her face.

"Well?" Lance said. "How are the people who graciously, mind you, invited us to their home for a celebration, supposed to hear about my triumph if you won't tell me where the punchline is?"

"Because last I saw," Pidge said before walking off towards a group of Drule, "he had something to discuss with Queen Merla."

"He WHAT?!" Lance said, before turning to look at the confused onlookers.

"Is this 'Keith' a rival of yours?" one of the women asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Lance answered, confused as to what exactly Queen Merla needed to discuss with him. Then again, given how socially awkward Keith and his brooding personality were, Merla would probably be trading up really quickly.

* * *

When Merla had offered to take Keith somewhere on the ship she claimed he would be interested in, the young man was both cautious and curious. Was she about to lead him into a trap or outright flirting with him?

What he found was the queen in a large room with a padded mat, the queen wearing a loose fitting shirt and long, loose pants. She offered him a smile as he went to the mat himself.

"Please Red Paladin, remove your armor."

Keith nodded, glad he wore his pants and a black T-shirt underneath it. Unsure of what she had planned, he asked the first question on his mind.

"You're not going to the party?"

"Not just yet," Merla replied. "I'm not much for formal gatherings and appearing as a diplomat. I've spent so much of my time fighting that the few moments I have of freedom I like to spend…more informally."

"I can relate," Keith said. "I was never really good at parties."

"You and I have much in common Red Paladin," Merla said, but Keith quickly raised his hand.

"Please, just call me Keith."

"Very well then Keith," Merla said. "But I must know if the Paladins of Voltron truly live up to their legend."

"How so?"

In her hands, Merla held two weapons resembling swords, but instead of metal blades, they had circular rods.

"Spar with me Red Paladin," Merla said, handing one of the weapons to Keith. "Let's see where the power of Voltron truly comes from, the man, or the machine."

"The machine is useless without the man!" Keith said, raising the weapon, as Merla did in kind. She smiled as her grin appeared, that of a predator entering its natural hunting grounds.

"Prove it to me."

A forceful lunge from Keith answered the question, but Merla's defense was impeccable, blocking the attack and countering with a foot sweep that knocked Keith to the ground. She smiled, holding the practice weapon to his neck.

"Are you sure it's not the other way around, Red Paladin?"

Keith's response was to knock the blade aside and get to his feet, holding the sword in his right hand.

"Nice footwork."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Merla said. "Attack me again and you'll only find yourself on the ground again."

"Let's see!"

With a forceful leap into the air, Keith attempted to slash downward at Merla, who dodged out of the way. Coming in close to jam Keith's weapon and sweep him to the floor, she instead found herself being lifted by the legs and tackled to the ground in a textbook double leg takedown, seeing Keith's face above her. His heavy pants accented the placement of his practice blade across Merla's throat.

"How could you?" she asked, her voice full of confusion. "I'm a woman!"

"I'm sorry, but…"

"RRRAGH!"

Two feet soon found themselves on Keith's hips, lifting him over Merla's body and sending him crashing to the mat. Merla used the opportunity to escape to her feet, sword drawn.

"It seems the man has some value to him after all!" Merla said. "Care to try your luck again?"

"So does the woman, or should I say the queen?" Keith said, drawing his own blade forward. "And yeah, I would!"

This time it was Merla who took the initiative, charging forward with a thrust that Keith parried, the first of many strikes. Her movement was relentless until she finally cornered Keith in the far end of the room.

"Nothing left in the tank, Paladin? Then our little game is over!"

Keith however, wasn't set to give up so easily. Instead of laying down his weapon, he deftly tried to move past the thrust, placing the blade of his weapon at the throat of Merla. What he hadn't counted on was for the queen to adjust her footing and do the same.

Both fighters, their blades forward, looked at each other for a few moments before grinning, dropping the practice weapons.

"I guess we'll call that one a draw," Keith said. Merla nodded.

"The man has quite the blade behind him, or should I call you the Red Paladin?"

"Call me Keith, Your Highness."

"Then I insist you call me Merla. Unfortunately," she continued, "the others are probably wondering where we are."

"We should head back."

"Would you care to do this again?"

"Just name a date."

"Date?" Merla asked coyly. Keith's response once he realized what he said, was a slight stammer.

"W…well, I meant date as in the time and place, not a…"

"I'd like that," Merla said, holding his hand slightly. "Shall we?"

"Yeah," Keith said to the Drule queen. "Let's."

* * *

"We share similar tragedies afflicted upon our people," Allura said to an intrigued crowd of Drule officers, their pale complexions contrasted by their dark brown military uniforms adorned with various medals. "It is not my place to say whose suffering mattered more, only that we face the source of our misery to ensure no one else deals with what we had dealt with."

"A fair assessment Princess," one of the Drule officers said, holding his glass forward. "Would you not agree Your Highness?"

Walking towards the group, Queen Merla offered a smile at Allura's statement.

"I believe it aptly put."

While the group nodded at Merla's approval, Lance found something off about the picture. The Red Paladin staying a bit too close to her for his comfort. Breathing heavily, he turned to the Queen.

"I trust your Highness hasn't been bored to death by our resident sleeping pill, have you?"

'The Red Paladin has proven to be quite the interesting conversationalist," Merla replied, with Keith smirking smugly. Not willing to let the matter stand, Lance pointed to the band, then to Hunk and Pidge.

"Really?" was all the Green Paladin could muster, but she nodded, going over to a corner with a laptop. Audio speakers soon began to play the strong beat of drums and trumpets as Lance took Merla's hand on to the dance floor.

"Here, let me show you the tradition of my people! Dancing!"

Confused at first, Merla soon began to see Lance's feet moving in tandem with the rhythm of the instruments. The other dignitaries had given the queen and Blue Paladin space for them to begin their movement while Pidge looked on, a twinge of annoyance in her eye. Keith meanwhile groaned at the display, wondering just how well the Queen of the Drule would take being dragged across the dance floor by an overly horny college student.

Her expression was one of confusion, but soon changed to a chuckle as she did her best to follow the moves of the Blue Paladin. Finally, in one triumphant bang of the drums, he dipped the woman towards the ground, holding her as steady as possible. His eyes locked with hers as they both felt an attraction, a longing that Merla couldn't quite put into words.

The looks from Keith, Pidge, Allura, and a Drule commander were in sharp contrast, each face sharing the same scowl of annoyance.

"I'll need to show you more of that next time," Lance said before smiling.

"I'll look forward to it."

"Yes," the Drule commander said, doing his absolute best to hide his annoyance at the display. "That was a rather…interesting cultural exchange. However, I believe her Highness is due at a meeting soon."

"Nonsense Huze," Merla interrupted. "We will never be able to call these people our friends unless we make the time to forge those friendships. So, shall we have dinner?"

"You read my mind," Hunk said.

* * *

The halls of the Galra fortress were empty save a chair that Yurak and Taizon kneeled before, waiting for their hostess to enter. Neither bothered to question her habits, as she was legendary for both her mysterious nature and her unquestioned loyalty to Emperor Zarkon. Those below her station were tolerated but ignored unless they crossed her or the Emperor, at which point the rage directed would break anyone in moments.

When she walked into the room, her appearance seemingly frail, both Galra commanders knew that they underestimated her at their own peril. They remained kneeling as she sat down in the chair, looking on at both with an expression that hovered between annoyance and disdain, depending on how charitable one wanted to be. Wasting no time, she began.

"Commander Yurak, you made contact with the machine and a pilot calling themselves a Bladeknight?"

"Yes, ma'am," Yurak replied, unsure of what title to greet Haggar with.

"This particular Bladeknight, Eagle Sword?"

A hologram appeared next to Haggar, showing the machine that had aided Voltron in two previous battles. Yurak nodded.

"The same. I have video footage from my machine that confirms it."

Haggar said nothing, looking on at Yurak for several moments before continuing.

"This is troubling. The Drule have a Bladeknight, one that could be associated with Zeppo. Was this not the theory you presented Taizon?"

"It was, ma'am," Taizon said.

"Zeppo is a danger to the entire universe," Haggar said. "But if he is having the Drule do his bidding, it is because his prison still holds. We cannot allow that prison to be opened. The Paladins of Voltron have no idea of the horror they are helping to unleash upon the universe."

"What would you have us do?" Yurak asked.

Haggar said nothing for a minute, leaving both Yurak and Taizon wondering if they had spoken out of turn. Thankfully, Haggar's next words were not condemnation.

"Return to your ship. Continue to pursue Voltron and the forces of the Drule. I have left something for you on your ship that will aid you in your next battle."

"Thank you, ma'am," Yurak quickly replied, but Haggar moved her hand.

"Don't thank me until the job is completed. Your instructions will come soon. Do not fail me."

"Yes ma'am," both said before bowing and leaving.

With both commanders gone, Haggar turned to the hologram. Pressing a button on a console on the chair, it disappeared, replaced by a man with an elaborate white and red uniform and long red ears. There was not a trace of hair on his body, but the wrinkles that covered it all seemed to scowl at what stood before him.

"Haggar.

"Sir Iodolo," Haggar said. "I have news of importance for you."

"You know the rules of our treaty. Unless it is a mutual enemy…"

"It is. Zeppo."

"Zeppo is freed?"

"No, but there are forces which seek to do so. We are mobilizing to prevent such a thing from occurring, but he still rests in his jail for the moment."

"What foe, Haggar? What foe seeks to free Zeppo?"

With a slight grin, Haggar said "Voltron."

"Voltron, the ancient weapon of good. And they have joined forces with the Drule, led by a warrior using Eagle Sword. You remember Eagle Sword, do you not?"

Iodolo nodded at Haggar's smirk.

"Then Voltron shall fall at the hands of the Order of the Fang. You will tell us where Voltron is hiding, and we will destroy it and recapture Eagle Sword."

"In time. We all need to be on the same page, as per our own agreements, and we will be. Don't worry though, you will know all in time."

* * *

Returning to his ship, Yurak couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's a small miracle she didn't turn me into some horrible Robeast for what happened."

"I don't see how that's your fault," Taizon said. "But yes, best not to push the master druid's mercy. Did she say she had a gift?"

"What do you care?" Yurak asked. "Aren't you going back to your own assignment at the library?"

"Actually, I'm not," Taizon said. "I've been reassigned as a consultant for the anti-Voltron task force, given my knowledge of Drule, Bladeknights, and the Zeppo legends. You'll have to deal with me for a bit longer. I hope you don't mind too much."

"I'll live," Yurak said, his tone carrying a slight undertone of sarcasm. "Just don't expect to override me and we'll get along just fine."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Commander. So, the gift?"

"Right," Yurak said, walking into the hangar where his ship rested. As he did, he saw exactly what the 'gift' was.

A massive machine, red in color, rested upright as it was held aloft via numerous cranes. While it had arms and a head on its massive shoulders, the machine had no legs, instead having numerous large engines beneath its torso. Yurak smiled.

"This is quite the gift."

Looking on at the machine, Taizon quickly pulled out a tablet with a screen on it.

"It's called the Wraith, a top of the line assault unit from the Galra science division, designed to fight machines like Voltron. Apparently this is the prototype for some devices for a machine that is to be given to the Emperor himself. When Haggar said she had a gift, she wasn't kidding."

"Bring me up to speed on all the specifics. We begin hunting in earnest Taizon."

* * *

"She's totally into me," Lance said as he walked onto the bridge of the Castle of Lions.

"Even if she was," Keith said, "you made yourself look like a complete ass with that stunt."

"Don't be jealous the women aren't into you. Or maybe you're not into…"

"You little c…"

"ENOUGH!" Shiro said, causing Keith to stop right before he could land a punch right on Lance's jaw. "Lance, you're out of line! Keith, you know he's not serious. Both of you knock it off!"

Both Lance and Keith nodded at each other before preparing to head in, but not before Keith said something Lance wasn't expecting.

"The Princess is going to be mine, and you're not gonna stop me with some cheesy crap from a bad movie."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure she'll love you, Mr. Personality."

Hunk said nothing, merely eyeing the spectacle in annoyance before walking off on his own.

"Not like I have anything she'd want, right?"

* * *

"It is a good start, my child, but not enough."

"I know Overlord."

Merla knelt before the mirror in her room, one that Zeppo could be seen through. In it were shards of the Grand Mirror of Drule, allowing the being to speak to her through it.

"Continue what you are doing. When I have the power to release Devilscourge, you will know, and vengeance will be yours."

"And what of the Paladins?"

"What of them? Once done, they must not be allowed to stop me. If they join me, they can serve by my side."

"Well," Merla said, but her cheeks turned red at the thought. The bearded man smiled."

"Child, you can tell me. I am your provider, and your companion."

"I fancy two of them. Maybe one more than the other. And I believe one could serve…as my King."

"You wish to take one of the Paladins as a king?" Zeppo asked. "Then when I am free, I shall see to it that they remain by your side, and that no one stops you from claiming them. Just tell me which one."

"When the time comes, Overlord."

"Then continue your deeds. And do not fail me."

As the image of the mustachioed man faded from the mirror, Merla smiled, looking on at both the pictures of the Red and Blue Paladins. She grinned.

"Soon, father. For your father and his father before, the Drule will have their revenge."


	5. Date Night

It had only been three months, but to the Paladins, it had seemed to be an eternity. Both Zarkon and Shiro had vanished, with a new foe, Prince Lotor, taking the reins of the Galra. The new leader of the Paladins, Keith, had braced himself for the possibility that he would never see his mentor Shiro again, only for him to return, unable to pilot the Black Lion.

During a time of awkward transition, Keith found solace in the presence of Merla, who seemed to make no secret of her attraction to the young Paladin. He found himself drawn to her after co-planned missions, training, enjoying meals together, or in general savoring the few moments of peace that they had. Both were unfamiliar with the concept of dating, and without much of a reference point, did their best to stumble through the experience as best they could.

It was nothing something that Lance was willing to take lying down, doing his best to impress Queen Merla with stunts pulled from a romantic comedy. There was the attempt at getting a freed planet's defensive cannons to shoot smoke signals that would spell out Lance's name but instead shot out unrecognizable dust. There was the attempt at riding the large insect-like creatures of a planet she and Keith were having lunch on, with the creature throwing him from its back with haste.

More often than not, Pidge and Hunk were recruited into Lance's schemes, with varying levels of resistance. Pidge claimed early on it was worth it just to see Lance's grandiose shows backfire in increasingly funny and spectacular ways, pointing out an incident where Lance tried to impress Merla with the dancing of a native people's Voltron had liberated from the Galra. What he didn't expect was that said planet's version of dancing involved hot coals and spears.

Hunk throughout it all remained the dutiful friend, never once complaining as Lance and Keith's attempts to woo the Queen of the Drule seemed to reach increasingly bizarre levels, Lance's stunts getting more outlandish, while Keith trotted along as best he could, learning about the matter of dating as best he could.

He couldn't help but feel like an accessory.

* * *

 **"HA!"**

The noise of grunts and groans woke Allura rather unceremoniously as she searched for the source of the racket. Looking towards the training area, she expected to see Keith working his swordplay against the Centurion. What she found instead surprised her.

"Come on you stupid tin cans, you're all supposed to be tough!"

Wearing a white pair of pants and a matching white jacket over his considerable frame, held tight by a black cloth belt, Hunk reached for the closest robot and wrestled with it before getting a grip underneath its arm. Grabbing the machine's wrist, Hunk lifted the machine off his feet, slamming it to the mat as his weight landed on top of the machine, immobilizing his metallic opponent.

"Hunk?"

Not hearing the princess, Hunk instead turned his attention to the robot in front of him, which lunged forward with a punch. Ducking underneath it, Hunk tackled the machine to the ground before landing a few strikes on it.

"Who's the dumb one now!? HUH? HUH?!"

A second droid tried to come to the aid of its companion but instead found itself gripped and thrown forward, landing on the back of its mechanical head. Before Hunk could attack further, Allura walked into the room.

"Hunk!"

Turning around to see the Princess, the killer instinct that was present before had vanished, replaced with a look of embarrassment. "Uh, Princess! Was that too loud?"

"You woke me, so I would assume yes. What are you wearing? I've never seen that fighting style before either."

"Well," Hunk said, "this is a judo gi. I wear it when I practice judo. The castle's fabric replicator seemed to be able to make a good enough version of mine, so I thought I would wear it when I was practicing."

"Judo?"

"Judo's a martial art from Earth, Princess. It's a form of wrestling where people try to get grips on each other's bodies using the uniform to throw them and pin them. Occasionally if you can't pin a person you can apply a submission hold to make them give up."

"It seems formidable. You practiced judo on Earth?"

"Yeah," Hunk said. "My three older brothers and I were encouraged to go into sports by our dad. He had wanted a family of athletes, and he got them from my older brothers. One was an NFL running back, the other a Division 1 wrestler who went on to do fake pro wrestling on TV, and the third was a surfer before he stopped doing that after an injury."

"And you?"

"I was never going to be as good as my brothers at sports. I was always viewed as the smart one, the runt of the family. I think that's why I got into doing judo, but even at the Garrison, I was still viewed as the fat friend. I wanted to be an Olympian, but instead, I'm well…the son that likes to cook."

"Do you think the other Paladins don't respect you? They do. I respect you as well, Yellow Paladin."

"It's not that. They see me as a fat joke. 'Oh, it's Hunk, he likes food', and that's the extent of what I am to them. They don't have a problem with me, but I'm more than a food joke."

"Is that what drove you to compete in judo?"

"I wanted to prove I was just as good as my brothers. That and after being ignored every time we talk with the Drule or the Voltron Coalition Coran is forming, it's nice to have something to take my anger out on."

"Stress relief is a valuable thing, but I think you're angry about something that isn't there."

Hunk looked at Allura for a few moments before asking a question of his own.

"You don't trust Merla either, do you?"

"W..what?" Allura said; her face clearly flustered. "Why would I be jealous of Merla?"

"I didn't ask if you were jealous. I asked if you trusted her."

Clutching her hands together, Allura said, "No, I do not. There is something about her that doesn't feel right. I tried not to think about it, worried that it may have been simple jealousy, but I believe it's more complicated than that."

"Jealousy?" Hunk asked, his serious expression replaced with a grin. "Which one?"

"Wait, you think…I'm jealous she's dating Keith?"

"You said it, not me."

"That's ridiculous!"

"As ridiculous as being annoyed Lance is doing all these crazy stunts for her and not you?"

"I'm annoyed because all this Quintessence she's gathering has been put into her dead planet for a reason! And I don't believe it to be selfless!"

"Neither do I," Hunk said.

"Then perhaps we're worried our own personal feelings are masking legitimate concerns."

"I think we should keep an eye on her."

"Perhaps we could discuss it some more over training," Allura suggested. "I could use the workout. See exactly what this 'judo' of yours is."

"I'm a lot stronger than I look," Hunk said.

"For a human, maybe."

* * *

Doing his best to comb his hair and look presentable in a casual outfit, Keith couldn't help but be nervous at going to see Merla. She had invited him to her planet to show its recovery thanks to the Quintessence they had gathered. She also made a note that she would be bringing lunch. Just as well, he didn't feel like asking Hunk to pack two bento boxes for them again.

"You've really taken a shine to this woman, haven't you?"

Turning around from the mirror, Keith saw the smiling face of Shiro, his tuft of white hair hanging over his forehead as he looked on at the pilot of the Black Lion.

"I…I'm not used to this," Keith said. "I've never felt this way about someone before. I'm not exactly good at dating."

"Practice makes perfect Keith," Shiro said. "Just like flying, fighting, or anything else.

"I just…" Keith began, but Shiro stopped him.

"Keith, you've never been incapable as long as you've put your mind to it, and you know it. You'll be fine."

Keith nodded, before walking off. Looking on, Shiro shook his head, the socially awkward boy who had difficulty with thinking anyone would return affection given seemed to finally be comfortable with someone.

"They grow up so fast."

* * *

Months of planning had been thrown into disarray following a battle that nearly took the life of Emperor Zarkon. In the midst of the chaos, the location of where the Drule and Voltron were taking their liberated Quintessence had remained hidden.

Until today.

"Commander Yurak. Initial scans of the planet Drule reveal…lifeforms. Plant life mostly, but animal life as well. They're using the Quintessence to resurrect their dead world."

"So this is how they planned to hide the Quintessence. By pumping it directly into their planet so Zeppo can use it to break their bonds."

"What do we do?"

"We should launch a full-scale assault! Raze the planet to the ground once again!"

"That is not advisable," a voice interrupted. Turning to Taizon, Yurak said nothing, but waited for the archivist to offer his explanation."

"The Grand Mirror that imprisoned Zeppo was never destroyed because doing so could potentially free him from his bonds, or potentially scatter millions of shards across the universe, any one of them serving as an escape portal for him. If the Druids of Galra couldn't destroy it, they must have realized doing so would make the problem worse."

"We need to secure the mirror," Yurak said. "Perhaps force them to transfer it off-world and strike it while it's vulnerable. Or defeat the defenders of the planet and then drain the life out of Drule once more so that Zeppo has nothing to use to free himself."

"That would be more advisable than trying to use physical force without the consequences known to us."

Yurak nodded, before raising himself from his chair.

"Ready the Wraith."

"Sir?"

"This is going to be a scouting mission. I want to see what engages me, Voltron or the Drule'sminusculee fleet and Bladeknight. If we can scare them, we can see if they want to move the Grand Mirror off-world, or maybe that they lack the defensive power to prevent an invasion to secure the mirror. The Wraith has the power to defeat any foe before it, and prevents us from committing excessive amounts of force."

"This is potentially risky move," Taizon said. "We don't know the enemy's strength, or if they plan to recall their forces to defend Drule."

"If their forces are defending Drule, it gives us time to crush them and stops the attack on our Quintessence shipments. Don't worry, I plan to retreat as soon as things get dicey.

"Do be careful sir."

"I'll be fine, librarian. Please don't burn the ship down in my absence."

* * *

"It's slow, but it's actually starting to show results."

Sipping a cup of tea, Keith and Merla looked out at the garden that stood in front of the massive building, trees and other plant life sprouting all along the sides of the roads and in the dirt. The sun shined over

"The whole planet isn't like this I gather."

"Sadly no," Merla said. "While life is slowly returning to Drule, most of it is still uninhabitable, lacking water or the elements to support life."

"But that doesn't mean we haven't progressed," Keith said. "Look at this place. A few months ago, you said this was a dead world. Now it's brimming with life and energy."

"It is," Merla said. "Here. But I cannot stop until Drule is fully restored. Until my people have their home back."

"They will!" Keith said, standing up as he did so. Even he seemed taken aback at his sudden outburst as he sat down, blushing. Merla for her part laughed at the exuberance of the Black Lion pilot.

"I'm happy you're so dedicated to this, Black Paladin. Maybe, when all this is done…"

"Yes?"

"Keith, when the war with the Galra is over, have you thought about what you will do?"

Keith shook his head. "It's never come up."

"What if I said in the future, when this war is over, I would like a king to rule alongside me?"

"A king?" Keith asked, his flustered expression returning. "Me?"

"To rule by my side. In the far future."

Keith stammered for a response, before Merla put her finger to his lip, smiling. The sudden movement caused both to burst into laughter before sitting back down.

* * *

"If this doesn't get her attention, nothing will!''

"This is insane! Even by your standards!"

Holding the Yellow Lion aloft, Hunk looked towards the rear of the craft one last time. He studied the ground as well, particularly the fact that the Quintessence growth was centered around one main building and spread outward. What was the significance of that building?

It was worth letting Allura know about. Just as soon as Lance got done embarrassing himself.

"Don't wait up!"

With a dramatic leap, Lance jumped from the Yellow Lion, in full armor, before pulling a string on a backpack he was wearing. The backpack opened, revealing a massive banner that said "LANCE X MERLA" in massive letters. Using his jetpack to keep himself and the banner aloft, he began to slowly descend towards where Keith was.

The sight did not go unnoticed by Keith.

"What is that idiot doing?"

"What does the 'X' stand for?" Merla asked. Keith groaned, looking at a nearby bodyguard.

"You! Rifle!"

"What? How dare you order me…"

"HUZE!" Merla said, and the bodyguard immediately relented, handing Keith his rifle. Aiming it aloft, Keith prepared to fire at the banner.

"I'm gonna turn that banner into Swiss Cheese!"

"Aren't you worried you'll hit Lance?"

"No. I won't hit him."

"Promise me!"

"I promise I will not hit Lance."

The laser fire heading towards him quickly interrupted Lance's descent. Panicking, he pulled another string, letting the banner fall to the surface as he flew away, noticing the target was the banner and not himself. As he landed, he found Keith firing away, a look of fury on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same question! When are you gonna take the hint she isn't into you?"

"She's never lost it the same way you have!"

"Every single time! What, is no one allowed to be with someone besides you?"

"Like you're even into women! Trying to make Shiro jealous?"

"You motherf…"

Merla quickly pulled Keith off of Lance as he tackled the Red Lion pilot and began trying to choke him. Staring at them both, she offered a look of contempt.

"Blue Paladin, I have enjoyed your stunts because I found them amusing, and up until this point I believed that they were in good fun. But this was outright malicious!"

"Malicious is Keith shooting me!"

"I made him promise not to harm you! You're supposed to be friends! And I won't have either of you in my presence until you apologize to each other!"

Looking over at Keith, Lance nodded.

"I'm sorry Keith. I went too far this time. I didn't mean to do that."

"Alright, and I'm sorry for losing it like I did."

"I didn't mean to call you gay man."

"I know. I get it; I'm not good around girls. I haven't dated a lot. Doesn't make me gay."

The tense air remained even as both Paladins breathed heavily. Before either could get to the root cause of the problem however, a beeping noise from the Paladins communicators interrupted.

"Go ahead."

 _Keith, Lance, hate to cut the date short, but there's an unidentified Robeast heading towards Drule! It's Galra!"_

"Get ready to pick us up. We'll intercept." Turning to Merla, Keith bowed his head.

"There's trouble. We need to go."

"Deal with the threat Keith. I'll be here upon your return."

The Yellow Lion descended as both boarded it, heading for the Castle of Lions. As it flew off, Merla went inside the temple, before the massive mirror that adorned its center hall. Looking up at it, she bowed.

"You saw him, didn't you Overlord?"

"The Red Paladin? I see why he strikes your fancy so."

"Would you approve of him as King?"

The form of Zeppo appeared in the mirror, his face furrowed in a scowl. Nodding, he said, "You have my blessing child, so long as he knows his place."

"Thank you Overlord. And Devilscourge?"

"Soon. At the rate you're going, the power to beach the barrier will be here soon."

"And I will have the means to end this war once and for all."

As Merla left, the eyes of her benefactor looked on at the Queen of the Drule, his thoughts going to the boy he saw she was infatuated with. Memories flashed as he thought of the qualities that made this man who he was.

"A hero. A threat."

* * *

"There's only one enemy?" Keith asked.

"Yeah, but I've never seen this type before," Pidge said.

"Well where is it?" Lance asked.

"Good to see you're focused on the task at hand," Hunk said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That maybe your desire to one-up Keith has gone from being merely annoying to actively interfering with the team!"

"Focus!" Keith said, right as the machine appeared in front of them. It appeared as a red torso with a single eye and no arms or legs, flying in a variety of odd angles.

"It's fast!"

"Paladins!" boomed the voice of Yurak over the communicator. "This time you will not escape!"

"Heard that one before," Keith said. "Hunk, cannon!"

A twist of the Yellow Paladin's bayard caused a cannon to form on Voltron's shoulder, firing directly at the enemy Robeast. However, the beam scattered well before hitting the machine, the beams flying in multiple directions.

"W…what happened?" Hunk asked.

"There's some sort of protective barrier around the machine!" Pidge said. "It's disrupting any energy attacks thrown at it!"

"Yes," Yurak said, "but _my_ energy attacks on the other hand…"

A barrage of beams finished Yurak's statement as they fired in tandem, Voltron doing its best to dodge and weave out of the way of the targets.

"Let's see you get out of this!"

From beneath the shoulders of the Wraith, two arms with claws for hands emerged, with one launching out via a rocket and grabbing Voltron by the left leg.

"We're stuck!"

"And now…this!"

A second barrage of cannons struck Voltron while it was unable to move, sending the machine to and fro. Hobbling from the attack, Pidge attempted to strike the claw arm, only for it to fly off and rejoin the main body of the Wraith.

"We need to get up close to that thing past its barrier, or we're through!"

"No need!" Yurak said. "I'll come to you!"

Moving next to Voltron, several arms with claws emerged from the shoulders of the Wraith, four of them trapping each of its limbs while the fifth and sixth reached for the head.

"Farewell Paladins!"


	6. Pieces on the board

Trapped by the numerous arms of the Wraith, Voltron struggled to free itself from the enemy Robeast as the single eye of the machine looked on at its victim.

"Farewell, Paladins!"

"Hunk! Now!"

Looking up close, Yurak saw the cannon on Voltron's shoulder, desperately trying to pull away. Before he could, it fired, the blast hitting two of the arms of the Wraith, vaporizing them.

"Let's go after him!" Keith said. "Form sword!"

With the sword formed in Voltron's hand, the mighty robot dashed after its enemy, trying to slice it apart. In a panic, Yurak darted the Wraith out of the way while trying to compose himself.

 _Commander Yurak! Your scouting mission is a success! Please, fall back!_

"I can still win!" Yurak said.

 _You specifically told me you wouldn't put the Wraith at risk in an honor-driven duel! Please! Fall back!_

"The Wraith is powerful enough to defeat Voltron! Even damaged!"

 _But we will have a far better chance of winning with a plan! Please fall back for now!_

Groaning heavily, Yurak pressed a button on the control console in front of him as several shells fired from the Wraith. They exploded, revealing shining flares.

"He's trying to blind us!"

Another quick dash from Voltron raced towards the bright lights, but when they cleared, the Wraith was gone, leaving Voltron floating alone in space.

"They got away," Lance said.

"Clearly," Allura replied. "We should regroup at the Castle of Lions and figure out our next move."

Breathing heavily, Keith said "Agreed," pulling back to where the Castle was located.

* * *

"I could have won! Destroyed Voltron once and for, which Prince Lotor seems thoroughly incapable of with the same Galra fighters that have failed dozens of time prior!"

"Or you could have had your damaged machine destroyed in a senseless duel when the perfect trap has been prepared."

"What are you going on about?"

"Come with me," Taizon said, leading Yurak out of the hangar bay to a room used for communications.

"Ma'am," Taizon said, kneeling. Realizing who was on the other end, Yurak did as well.

 _This supertanker of Quintessence is going to pass through Drule's star system to refuel Lotor's forces. The Drule and Voltron will obviously attempt to seize it._

"It's a purposeful trap," Yurak said, "correct?"

 _It is filled with Quintessence, but that is so the intelligence network takes the bait. The Order of the Fang has agreed to aid us in this single operation in the name of destroying Voltron and keeping Zeppo imprisoned. You will run escort until Voltron appears, then engage. From there, the Bladeknights will spring their trap._

"I understand completely ma'am," Yurak said.

 _We will only have one opportunity to destroy Voltron. If you fail, and the Drule obtains the tanker, the consequences will be catastrophic for the entire universe. YOU MUST NOT FAIL._

"We will not," Taizon said.

 _Words are meaningless. I demand action._

* * *

"Anything you want to say, Keith?"

The piercing gazes of Pidge, Hunk, and Allura all tore holes in Keith and Lance as they sat a table in the Castle's war room. Coran, for his part, could only look on confused as Shiro began preparing a presentation.

"I let anger get in the way when I was out with Merla. I…he shouldn't have done that!"

"Me?" Lance said.

"Yes you, Mr. 'Hit on anything with a pair of breasts'! I try to do something and you have to one-up me, you have to embarrass yourself just so I can't have it? Is that it?"

"Well no, but…"

 **AHEM**.

The argument ceased for a moment as the group all looked on at Shiro, angrily pointing at a hologram of what looked like a massive Galra ship.

"When you're all done arguing over your prom dates, we can turn our matters to the most recent development from our friends at Drule intelligence. Namely, this supertanker."

"Supertanker?" Pidge asked.

"It's designed to haul an utterly MASSIVE amount of Quintessence to Lotor's forces and forces in numerous other locations that are currently facing resistance from Voltron Coalition forces, in order to replenish their depleted stores. There's enough here, as per estimates, to completely revive Drule. If we seize it, we deal several sectors of troops a crippling blow."

"But they know we're after the Quintessence" Hunk said. "Are you sure this isn't a blatantly obvious trap?"

"Trap?" Lance asked, as Hunk stood up and continued.

"One designed to prey on both our newfound alliance with the Drule and any personal feelings members of this team might have for their queen? Especially given the Drule have allegedly been driven from Planet Drule thousands of years ago, and yet all their efforts seem to be singularly focused on its revival, rather than finding a new home for their dwindling population to at the very least, use as a base of operations?"

"I don't know if I like your tone," Keith said. "What's wrong with me dating a woman?"

"A woman saves the Voltron Paladins from a new enemy, and recruits us to rebuild their home planet while taking Quintessence all the time! Meanwhile, we get attacked by a brand new enemy fighting in a completely different way than Lotor does, all while Keith and Lance are too busy trying to get into the fair Queen's pants to see that there's something wrong!"

Both Keith and Lance appeared stunned at the accusation, unsure of how to respond. Keith was set to march out when he looked at Hunk and asked a question.

"Where's your proof?"

"I…"

"You don't have any, do you?"

"No, but I'm not the only one suspicious! It's all way, WAY too convenient!"

"Do you have a suggestion?" Keith said; his annoyed look still present.

"Yeah. We capture the Quintessence, but we don't give it to Merla. Not until we can determine what she's planning is on the up and up. Then we move on."

"That's fair," Pidge said.

"Agreed," Allura added. "We need to see exactly what we're dealing with. I cannot help but feel the presence of…evil coming from Drule. And Hunk is entirely correct about their bizarre fixation on its revival, especially after all this time."

"If someone could revive Altea, wouldn't you trust them?" Keith asked. Looking at Keith, Allura sighed heavily.

"Only if they could revive the Alteans. Worlds die. But the Drule still live. And this is despite their best efforts to revive Drule."

"As it stands," Shiro said, "we know that no matter what happens, we can't let the Galra get the Quintessence. We can decide what to do with it once we obtain it. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"…Agreed."

Looking at Keith, he nodded as well. "Agreed."

"Then rest up. The tanker will be in intercept range in six hours, and I expect that new machine you fought to be part of any defenses for the tanker. Dismissed."

* * *

Boys have been working on the Wraith overtime!" a mechanic shouted to Commander Yurak and he and Taizon looked on at the machine being repaired. "But don't worry, she'll be good to go in time for the operation!"

"Operation Blackout," Taizon said as he looked around the hangar. "I trust you have all your plans in order?"

"Of course I do," Yurak replied. "Phase one, a fighter wing, the same kind as we've sent before. Phase two, the Wraith attacks Voltron directly. Phase three, Haggar's friends, the other Bladeknights, launch an ambush and crush Voltron in one swift blow."

"Please be careful," Taizon said. "Haggar doesn't appear to trust the Bladeknights, and if Haggar doesn't trust them, that can't be a good sign at all."

"I'll be fine," Yurak said. "I nearly beat Voltron alone last time. This time we cannot fail."

* * *

Throughout the silence of space, the massive ship trudged onward through its path towards its destination, a refueling depot that Lotor's forces had been relying on to quash a series of local uprisings by a group of rebels inspired by Voltron. The crew of the vessel, mostly Galra war droids with a few overseers, was blissfully unaware of the part the tanker had to play in dealing with the enemies of the Empire.

"Sir!" an officer shouted to the captain. "We're picking up several bogeys on our radar! It's the Voltron Lions and a secondary machine!"

"Full speed ahead!" the captain ordered. "This cargo needs to be delivered post-haste!"

Outside, the Lions, despite the best efforts of the bulky cruiser, easily caught up to the tanker, their claws digging into the machine and firing their engines in an attempt to slow it down.

"Merla, Phase 1 is complete," Keith said even as the Black Lion began to push against the massive engines of the tanker. "Bring in the frigates. The Castle of Lion's and _Drule's Hope_ will provide cover."

Emerging from a warp gate, two smaller ships approached the tanker, preparing to reel it in like a trout from a lake. Before it could, several fighters began approaching it.

"The usual cannon fodder," Lance said. "Pidge, Allura, on me. The Yellow and Black Lions are the biggest. They'll keep the ship down."

"Sounds good", Keith said. "Hunk, increase power to the engines!"

"I'll provide assistance!"

In front of the tanker, Merla's machine began pushing against the front, its engines firing as heavily as they could. The machine, relatively small in comparison to the tanker, did its best to push against the significant pull of the engines as the two frigates lumbered into position.

* * *

"The fighters are as usual, proving completely ineffective."

"It's almost like the same ships that didn't work the first 100 times aren't going to work here. Absolutely stunning that the fighters are ineffective."

"You seem upset Commander Yurak."

In the cockpit of the Wraith, Yurak smiled.

"It's time to show Lotor that the only way to bring down a robot, is with a more powerful robot! Wraith, launch!"

* * *

So far so good on our end," Lance said as the Red Lion danced through cannon fire and blasted two more fighter jets. "Keith, how are you doing?"

"The frigates have attached their cables! We are moving to the withdrawal point!"

 _PALADINS!_

A rapidly moving object began heading towards the two frigates, prepared to strike. Immediately, Merla flew from her position towards the new enemy, attempting to strike it with the blade of Eagle Sword. Unfortunately for her, it was too quick, flying upwards before a barrage of missiles flew out.

"The frigates!"

"It's that Galra unit from yesterday!" Pidge said. "Is it the same pilot?"

"It is!" a voice replied from the Wraith's speakers. "I, Commander Yurak, have returned to challenge you Voltron! Prepare yourselves Paladins!"

"Protect the frigates!" Merla said. Immediately, the various lions attempted to shoot down the missiles headed for the frigates with concentrated blasts. Most were destroyed, but three errant missiles struck one of the frigates, leaving significant damage on it.

"Report!" Merla said.

 _The ship is damaged! We're keeping her aloft, barely, but another hit like that and we're done!_

"Paladins, deal with that machine!"

"Well, he wants Voltron," Keith said. "Let's give it to him!"

* * *

"You're getting all of this, correct ma'am?"

 _I am. They have fallen for my plan. Now, Sir Iodolo, it's time to complete your end of the bargain._

 _Of course Haggar. Bladeknights, into position!"_

* * *

The sword of Voltron clashed with the energy blade of the Wraith as the pair flew above the tanker, the Paladins remembering well their lesson from their last battle.

"Don't let him get any distance!" Keith said. "Only physical weapons will work on this thing!"

"Like this sword you mean?"

From behind the Wraith, Eagle Sword drew its blade to strike the Galra machine. Two claws emerged from its shoulders but they were cut down without much difficulty. Yurak was surrounded on all sides.

"It ends now, Galra!"

 _BLADEKNIGHTS, RAISE YOUR FANGS!_

Without warning, concentrated laser fire began striking at Voltron and Eagle Sword, giving the Wraith the opportunity to fly away. When both machines turned to the new threat, they saw a dozen machines similar to Merla's, with emblems on their bodies and swords of different animals.

"What are those?" Lance asked.

"Paladins!" Merla shouted. "The enemy works for the Galra! We must attack immediately!"

"Not if we attack first, fallen one!" a voice from the enemies said. Immediately, the machines drew their swords and charged into battle, but the sheer superiority of the enemies in number was able to overwhelm even Voltron. Strikes from the machines and their blades came from all sides, piercing the metal of Voltron even as it swung its sword to try and draw them off.

"We're gonna need the big sword!"

Immediately the others placed their bayards into their slots, transforming the sword of Voltron into a massive scimitar. Swinging it from side to side, the machines all backed away, leaving Voltron a clear view of the two frigates, and the Wraith attacking them.

"Got you now!"

Cannons on the shoulders and body of the Wraith opened up, firing at both frigates, destroying them completely. As it flew off from the fireballs, the tanker began to move normally once again, barreling towards its destination. All the while, Yurak cackled.

"Bladeknights, this is Wraith! Voltron and the rouge Bladeknight are yours! I will be escorting this ship away from the battlefield! Deal with the rest!"

"Get out of here Galra! This is personal!"

"The Quintessence!" Merla shouted as her machine raced away from the battlefield. But before it could, six blades struck it in the center, causing it to go limp.

"AAAH!"

"MERLA!" Keith shouted, only to deflect another swipe from an attacking Bladeknight. "They're going to get away, and Merla's in trouble!"

"Guys," Lance said.

"What?"

"We need to separate! I have an idea, but it will only work if we split up!"

"The individual lions can't take on these things!" Keith said. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive!"

Growling slightly, Keith shouted "Separate!" as the five lions flew off. Immediately, Lance flew off at top speed, heading towards the wreckage of the destroyed Bladeknight Merla piloted. To his relief, she was still alive, fully armored and floating in space. The mouth of the Red Lion opened and grabbed her, while flying directly towards the Wraith.

"Coran!"

"Got it!"

Before the Wraith could do anything about the approaching lion, barrages of laser fire headed for the machine. They merely bounced off of the barrier in place, causing Yurak to laugh.

"HA! Your weapons are useless against the Wraith and you know it!"

What soon followed though was a barrage of physical missiles, which Yurak knew could hurt him. Quickly, he attempted to dart out of the way as the Red Lion flew past him, firing at the front of the ship.

"I'm hit!"

 _Commander Yurak!_

"Taizon! The enemy is about to escape with the tanker! I have to destroy it!"

 _Sir, that tanker is set to refuel the entire Western front! If you destroy it, we're done for!_

"What would you have me do?"

 _We'll pursue them to Drule and launch a full-scale attack before they can free Zeppo! They'll have to gather all their forces now that they have their objective, and that will give us a very small window to stop them!_

"Haggar will have my head!"

 _So would Lotor sir. This is our best option for a bad situation!_

Nodding, Yurak looked on the controls before returning to his ship. "All units withdraw! Keep the tanker in range!"

* * *

"Surprise!"

The men on the bridge of the ship never stood a chance. Lance quickly burst in and shot the remaining soldiers on the deck while the Red Lion served as a barrier to keep anyone else from entering. Smiling at his handiwork, he began to move the controls.

"The tanker is now in our possession. I'm going home."

"The tanker is," a voice interrupted. "You're not."

Turning around, Lance expected to see a group of Galra. Instead, he saw himself face to face with a Drule he recognized, a short, wispy beard accenting his blue skin and gray uniform.

"Aren't you one of Merla's bodyguards?"

"Khybon Huze," the man said. "And we must talk."

"Talk?" Lance asked.

"This was your boldest stunt yet Blue Paladin, or is it Red Lion Pilot? Either way, between this and saving her Highness from certain death, you have likely completely won her favor. She will ask for your hand as King of the Drule."

"King Lance?" Lance asked, smiling as he did so. "I like that idea."

"Over my dead body!" Huze said. "I have been in love with the queen since we were both children. She needs to believe it was I that saved the tanker, and not you!"

"How are you going to lie to her?"

"Simple," Huze said, removing a belt that held two pistols as well as his shoes, before assuming a fighting stance. "I plan to beat you to within an inch of your life, and send you on your way. When her Highness awakens, she will know that I saved the mission and her life. She will have to see me as the King!"

"Can't let you like to a lady like that," Lance said as he shook his head, raising his fists. "If you wanna go, though, trust me, we can go."

"The Paladin thinks he knows how to fight without guns. This should be enjoyable."

* * *

"They have the transport!" Keith said. "Everyone fall back to the Castle!"

"No, you don't!"

In front of Voltron stood all twelve Bladeknights, swords drawn. The Lions attempted to move past them but found themselves tackled by the Bladeknights. Four each had restrained the Black and Blue Lions, preventing them from escaping. Two massive waves of electricity flew through the Lions, shocking both of their pilots into unconscious.

"Back to Stokor!"

A bright flash of light emerged from a warp gate appeared before the armored Bladeknights, dragging the Black and Blue Lions with them. As the remaining units attempted to surround the other lions, the blazing cannons of the Castle of Lions and the _Drule's Hope_ fired at them.

"We got two! That's enough! Withdraw!"

The other Bladeknights soon vanished into a portal, leaving Hunk and Pidge to ask what had just happened, and where had Allura and Keith been taken.

"Shiro!" Hunk yelled. "Is there any indication of where Keith and Allura are?"

 _None yet,_ Shiro said. _I hate to say it, but we need to make sure the tanker gets back to Drule first!_

"WHAT?!"

 _We can't risk losing everything! We just need to trust the two of them will be OK until we can find them._

* * *

"Huh?"

As his eyes opened, Keith found himself in what looked to be a massive structure with a floor made of a soft mat, still in his armor. Looking upwards, he saw a metal wall surrounded the whole room, with seats above those similar to an arena on Earth. Turning to his right, he saw Allura next to him, clad in her armor as well, with the Lions nowhere in sight.

"Princess?"

"I don't know," she said, only to have her attention drawn to a bright light, revealing an armored man sitting on a throne in the stands above.

"Paladins! You stand charged with aiding the Drule to revive Zeppo! For your crimes, you will be judged the only way deemed fair for warriors such as yourselves!"

"What are you talking about?!" Keith yelled, only for the man to ignore him.

"You will be judged in trial by combat!"


	7. Proof in Combat

_You signed up for what?! In the Elite category?!_

 _What? It's not like I don't have experience doing it. I mean, it's practically in my blood! Ever hear of Teofilo Stevenson? Felix Savon?_

 _But the guy in front of you has something like 40 amateur fights! The elite category is for Olympic hopefuls! What do you have?_

 _Well…four._

 _FOUR?!_

 _Hunk's right Lance. Normally I wouldn't mind seeing you get beat up, but boxing? Against a guy with ten times as much experience in the ring? You'll get torn to shreds!_

 _Relax! I've got this! And it made a lot more sense than swim team!_

* * *

"My experience in the fighting arts started when I was a child," Huze said. "I was trained to be the arms and legs of the queen, and have been throughout my time in this universe. You can't win. Any attempt at trying would be a futile gesture."

"One way to find out, right?" Lance asked, his hands in front of his face in a classic boxing stance. His helmet was removed along with his bayard, same as Huze removing his belt and his weapons.

"HOYA!"

A powerful leap from Huze began his assault as he pointed his foot directly at Lance's face. Seeing it, Lance ducked the initial strike and rose up, delivering a left uppercut and right straight to Huze's face, staggering the Drule commander, but not letting him fall.

"What?! How?"

"Why does everyone always think fancier is better when it comes to fighting?" Lance said.

"Merla will be mine!" Huze said as he threw a kick at Lance's head again. The impact against his arms caused him to wince as it was followed with a spinning back kick that landed on his unprotected stomach. Winded by the impact, Lance was knocked back into a control panel.

"I knew it. You were full of meaningless words, but no action."

"You say that," Lance said, wiping a bit of dirt and blood from his lip, "but I call it a lucky kick."

"This is skill!" Huze shouted, charging forward again with his feet into a spinning hook kick. This time however, Lance was prepared, ducking under the kick and getting in close to Huze, where he found a wide opening for a left hook to the body.

 **POW**!

"Ugh!"

Huze had no time to react as a quick jab and a right straight to his face stopped him from charging forward. Placing his hands up in front of himself, he grimaced.

"How?"

"I told you," Lance said. "Your fighting style is too fancy. You use your legs exclusively rather than your arms to help, when they're easier to control. You're winding up when I've already landed."

"Wind up this!" Huze said, jumping into the air in a circular motion, preparing to land heel first towards Lance. Leaping out of the way, Lance saw Huze preparing to kick him. Rolling out of the way, Lance landed an overhand right on Huze, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You're all talk Huze."

"I am a man of action! You'll see!"

* * *

The remaining lions had boarded the Castle as quickly as they could, with the Yellow and Green Paladins currently on the bridge of the vessel. Alongside Coran, Shiro looked on at the tanker headed towards Drule, blissfully unaware of what was going on.

"You have no idea where Keith and Allura are?" Pidge asked.

"I wish I did," Shiro said, shaking his head. "But we haven't got a clue."

"So now what?" Hunk asked.

"We take the tanker back to Drule where the Galra can't get it, and try to pry some answers out of Merla. Maybe we can use the tanker as a bargaining chip to launch a rescue mission."

"Wouldn't Merla want to do that anyway?" Hunk asked. "If she's as in love as Keith claims anyway."

"If," Shiro said. "I think we're all starting to doubt just how benevolent Queen Merla really is. Especially after being attacked by a bunch of guys using machines just like hers."

Before Hunk could pat himself on the proverbial back, the Castle jolted violently as everyone was thrown to the floor. Standing to his feet, Coran looked on at the view screens and gasped.

"It's the _Drule's Hope!_ They seem to have ensnared us in a tractor beam!"

"Why?" Hunk asked.

"Perhaps we should ask the men on the shuttles headed for us! We're about to be boarded!"

Looking towards the entrance to the bridge, both Hunk and Pidge raised their weapons but found Shiro pushing them away.

"Shiro!"

"Hide!"

"But…"

"We can't fight off that money! And you can pilot the lions! If we get captured, you two have a much better chance of rescuing us!"

"But…"

"No 'buts!'" Shiro said firmly. Realizing they were never going to win the argument, both Hunk and Pidge ducked out of the room into a small maintenance tube. With the Paladins gone, Shiro and Coran turned to the door, the latter going to a compartment by a console before revealing a rifle.

"Coran?"

"No man goes into my home uninvited without paying for it!"

The front door soon flew open in pieces as a small explosion ripped it open. Without hesitation, Coran fired as Shiro charged towards the intruders.

 **THWIP THWIP THWIP**!

Several darts struck Coran, causing him to collapse and drop his weapon. Shiro could only strike at the nearest soldier before darts riddled him as well, the complete lack of cover and a distraction too great an obstacle to overcome. Soon both were on the ground, sleeping soundly. Looking onwards, one of the soldiers, carrying a rifle that shot the darts and wearing a dark blue spacesuit and helmet, surveyed his catch.

"The Queen wants them alive."

"She wants all of them alive," another said. "Where are the two Paladins that returned to the ship?"

"Not here."

"Then fan out and find them! The Queen wants them all alive."

"And the ship?"

A third soldier looked on at the consoles and began to change items listed. Turning back to his comrades, he said "Course is set for Drule."

"Remain here. Raol, take a squad and search for the Paladins." The second soldier raised his fist to his heart, beating it once.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"I am the leader of the Voltron Paladins!" Keith shouted to the man in the stands. "And I will take responsibility for this trial! Leave Allura out of this!"

"Keith!" Allura yelled. "I can take care of myself quite fine, thank you!"

"I don't know what's going on Princess."

"You don't?! Have you seen the past few…"

"Your intentions are…noble," the man interrupted, "but the laws of the Order of the Fang are clear. Trial by combat applies to all who were deemed accessories to the crime. You are not allowed to have someone fight in your stead. Both of you will face trial!"

"Now?"

The man in the stands laughed heavily through his armor, before shaking his head. "You are not listening! This is a trial and a trial must be done fairly. You will first see your opponents, then be allowed to rest until dawn! At dawn, the trial formal shall commence! Bring out the prosecutors!"

A gate by where Keith and Allura stood opened, and two figures, clad in similar armor to the one Queen Merla wore, stepped forward, their faces covered by thick helmets. Both drew their swords, but were too far from the Paladins to attack, instead keeping them pointed.

"Your opponents are here. And they will face you at dawn. Till then, your quarters are open. Take the time to rest."

Both men left the arena without a word, Keith set to protest, but he stopped when Allura pointed to the men with guns in the stands. He had a sickening feeling what was going to happen if he didn't play along.

"Dawn?"

"Dawn. And I promise the trial will be fair."

The lights that shined on the man faded as they pointed towards a gate, presumably where the Paladins were to be held until dawn. Sighing, Keith walked towards it.

"That's it? You intend to fight in their game?"

"I don't intend to put you at risk, if that's what you're asking," Keith said, as he started to walk to where his cell was."

"You're still not thinking of anyone but yourself here, are you?"

"That's not it at all!" Keith said. "You're my responsibility, and I will not let any harm come to you."

"You speak to me as if I were a child, yet you act like one yourself. Are you still upset that we admonished you for actions whenever Merla is involved?"

"Why are you bringing Merla into this?" Keith asked angrily. "I get none of the others respect me because I'm not Shiro…"

Allura hit her forehead with her palm when she heard that.

"Why is it that every Paladin believes themselves to be worthless in the eyes of the others?"

"What?"

The pair had finished walking inside the cell, finding two separate cots for each. As they each sat down on a cot, Allura continued.

"Hunk believed that none of the Paladins respected him. Lance constantly decries how useless he feels in private, as you are likely aware. And now you continually compare yourself to your mentor because you seem unaware of how to bring people closer to you! You are respected! Hunk is respected! Lance, my ancestors help me, is respected! No one is looking down on you! But you find yourself so incapable of dealing with the emotions you have for this woman, you suddenly see the universe against you!"

Keith said nothing, instead choosing to look at the ground in shame. Sighing heavily, he said, "She was the first one that I think ever liked me for me."

"You truly believe that?" Allura said.

"Well, in that way. I'm sorry. But the way she spoke to me, the way I felt around her like I could actually spend the rest of my life with her. And then Lance said…THAT."

"You never mentioned what Lance said, come to think about it."

"He said I like other men. Sexually. Let's just say it bought back some really bad memories."

"You don't, do you?"

"Of course not," Keith replied, huffing. "But back when I was in school, well, one of the ones I bounced around to, there was the girl that might have liked me. Her boyfriend didn't appreciate it."

"So?"

"So he started this rumor with a guy who actually was gay, like the only one in the whole school, that I was gay, that I only liked other men sexually. And everyone kept taunting me about it, saying I lied when I denied it. They kept trying to force me on a date with this jackass, saying that I was hiding my true feelings or some crap."

"And?"

"I was expelled. From what I understood, both of them left the hospital…eventually. Every time I hear Lance say that, I think of those two idiots, and being isolated. Alone."

"And in Merla, you saw your retribution for all those things. Losing Shiro, even temporarily, being isolated as a child, and being the outsider to girls."

Keith nodded, a sullen expression on his face. "Look where my feelings have gotten me. I should have just sucked it up!"

"You can't change what has happened," Allura said. "Nor did you let your clear discomfort with what Lance said distract you in battle. You," she continued, standing up from her bed, pointing at him, "must focus on the now, not the taunts of the past. Lance probably has no idea of the context."

"I won't let any harm come to you," Keith said, but Allura shook her head.

"You're doing it again. You're attempting to take on sole responsibility for all things when this is clearly a joint responsibility. You should know by now that you can't-do everything by yourself, as much as you seem to want to."

"But…"

"No buts," Allura said. "We will face whatever threat our would-be executioners pose at dawn, and we will emerge victoriously. From there, we can get to the bottom of all this."

"I just…I'm not good at…"

"I said enough!" Allura shouted, rising from her bed and embracing Keith even as he remained seated. "You either act like you're the only one who can do something because of a past trauma or you want the weight of the universe on your shoulders because you compare yourself to others." Instinctually, Keith returned the embrace.

"Allura…"

"I…we don't need someone to be the universe's martyr. We need a Paladin to fight alongside. So I will hear no more of this self-loathing. Instead, focus on what we must do now."

Keith nodded, before asking one last question.

"Merla's been using me for something, hasn't she? Hunk was right, but I was so obsessed with wiping out bad memories I didn't notice."

"I did not mean to come off as defensive or accusatory," Allura said. "But Hunk and I both believe Merla is not to be trusted."

"All the more reason to find out the truth," Keith said, before adding, "We should rest."

"Yes," Allura said. "We should."

* * *

"Just give up! You know you can't beat me!" Huze yelled as he connected with a spinning kick to Lance's torso. The impact knocked him over a control console as he felt flat on his back. Huze flipped over the console, prepared to finish the Blue Paladin off.

"Farewell!"

Huze wound his leg up to punt Lance's head as if it were a football, but at the last second, the prone Paladin moved out of the way, going into a textbook double leg tackle. Keeping the legs of Huze pinned, Lance continued to move towards his head where he finally landed a punch. Followed by another, and another, all the while Huze was unable to do much except place his hands up in defense.

Finally, after the sixth punch, the battered Huze kicked Lance's hips away and stood back up to his feet, his face showing the impact of the blows rained upon him.

"Why won't you give up?!"

"I never give up when I'm winning," Lance said, raising his fists once more.

A look of incredulity spread across Huze's face as he thrust a kick towards Lance that hit the console. Quickly, Lance grabbed Huze's leg and drove his elbow down on it.

"AAAAAAAH!"

Screaming in agony, Huze clutched his leg as he squirmed on the ground. Wasting no time, Lance mounted him and punched him twice in the face, knocking him out. Breathing heavily, he went to the controls.

"Tanker to _Drule's Hope._ This is the Blue Paladin. I have secured the tanker and will be meeting you on Drule. Merla is safe with me."

 _Good to know Blue Paladin,_ a voice responded. _We'll meet you planet side. You're the hero of the day._

"Guess I am," Lance said, as he looked out towards the remainder of the bridge. For ten minutes or so, the gravity of what had occurred sunk in, until another voice interrupted him.

"Lance?"

Turning around from the helm, Lance saw Merla looking at him, her helmet removed as she stared at the Paladin.

"Your Highness!" Lance fumbled, "I…"

"You saved me. And secured the cargo. Didn't you?"

"Well, yes," Lance said. "I…"

Before Lance could say anything, Merla ran up to him and kissed him deeply on his lips, a kiss Lance returned. When they broke, the Blue Paladin had a grin on his face that went from ear to ear.

"Lance, all this is amazing. I can't believe I ignored you so."

"Your Highness," Lance said, a cocky tone returning to his voice, "I had to do it. I couldn't let you face this alone. It's something I was born with."

* * *

 _Lance!_

 _What?_

 _You got knocked out! I told you not to go in there!_

 _No, it was a referee's decision! The referee decided I couldn't continue._

 _Next time, could you at least go in the class closer to your skill level?_

* * *

The trip continued uneventfully under the tanker landed on Drule, As it did the Blue Lion left the hole in the tanker while Lance and Merla exited into the garden that stood in front of the temple. Smiling, she led Lance inside in front a massive mirror, where reached for the sword her scabbard held and kneeled before Lance, holding the blade in both hands. She looked up at him, smiling.

"Lance, Blue Paladin, your efforts will lead to Drule's revival. My people will have a home again. And with our home returned to us, the war against the Galra will be over soon. I wish to give you the greatest reward my people can offer, and one I know you have been pursuing these past few weeks.

"Your sword?" Lance asked, confused.

"No," Merla said, chuckling. "The sword is a symbol of my right to rule our people. To offer it to another is to ask them to rule besides me."

"What are you saying?" Lance asked.

"Lance McClain, BE MY KING!"

Without a single shred of hesitation, as if something were driving Lance forward, he reached for the sword and held it aloft.

"Then rise, my queen." Grinning, he added, "my bride."

"Lance!" Merla said, hugging the Blue Paladin as he put the sword down. "You've made me the happiest woman in the universe!"

The pair kissed in front of the mirror, Lance blissfully unaware of the being that looked on, smiling in approval.

* * *

"W…where are we?"

"It appears we've been chained!"

"I know that Coran, but where are we chained?"

There were no identifying markers in the area that they were present, just yellow painted walls and the chains that bound them behind a steel door. So when the door opened, they immediately took notice.

"What…Merla?!"

"I'm sorry it's come to this, Shiro," Merla said. "But Lance has accepted my hand and we are to be wed. You, however, have been planning to betray me."

"W…what?"

"I knew of your attempts to take the Quintessence, and I cannot allow you to prevent the revival of Drule. I knew that Allura did not trust me, and that you planned to betray me!"

Looking on as he struggled against his bonds, Shiro said: "You really think Lance won't find out if you kill us?"

"Kill you?" Merla asked. "Nonsense! I'm simply going to make sure you don't say a word of your suspicions to anyone!"

"Of course!" Coran shouted, causing Shiro to stare at him.

"Don't you see? Merla possesses psychic abilities to influence those around her! It's why Keith and Lance are so infatuated with her!"

"Actually," Merla said, "I only used it to suppress feelings of doubt towards me. Keith and Lance's attraction is merely a result of my own beauty and personality."

"A rather vile personality it would seem! Lance will never agree to marry you once he finds out the truth!" Merla merely laughed at Coran's accusation.

"You're funny. It's why I could never dream of killing you. Now please," Merla said as she extended her arm towards Coran, "hold still. In a few hours you'll be in a Drule medical bay, all set to be discharged, and you've got a very happy friend to congratulate on the good news!"


	8. Knowledge Passed On

The light of dawn struck Keith in the face, rousing him from his rest. As he did his best to take stock of his surroundings, he realized that something was holding him. It was the princess.

 _We must have fallen asleep while she was holding me,_ he thought. Indeed, Allura, still in her paladin armor, rested alongside Keith, holding him tightly to her.

Remembering the words of his jailer, that they were to face their trial by combat at dawn, Keith attempted to rise. However, as he did so, Allura's formidable grip held him down.

"Mine," she mumbled. "Mine."

The reaction confused Keith, but he knew that he couldn't win his freedom if Allura was sleeping. Holding his hand to her head, he prepared to wake her but stopped for a brief moment. There was pleasantness in the situation, her alongside him, which he couldn't explain.

"Princess, wake up," he said, stroking her head. Soon, Allura's eyes opened, as she awoke from her rest.

"W…Keith?"

"Yeah, Princess. It's me. We have to get up."

"W…what happened?" Allura asked, her flustered appearance suggesting something that she couldn't remember. Keith was quick to reassure her.

"You held me, and we both fell asleep. Unfortunately, we have an appointment. Are you ready?"

"That depends. Do you believe you are ready to do this?"

"Always."

"Then," Allura said while standing up, "so am I. Let us go."

Keith nodded, readying his bayard as he followed the path from the cell to the center of the arena. Going into the center, he saw his two opponents waiting for him. The man from before, covered in armor from head to toe, kept his same spot in the seats above, observing the proceedings like a judge ready to cast down his sentence.

"Welcome. The charged have agreed to face trial. You both understand what that means, correct?"

"We're innocent of the charges you've levied against us!" Allura said. "Voltron is made to defend the universe, not enslave it!"

"Then prove it!" the armored man said. "Prove your valor, that you are not minions of Zeppo!"

"What the hell is Zeppo?" Keith asked. However, no one answered his question.

"BEGIN!"

The two armored men drew long rapiers and charged forward, intending to meet their opponents one-on-one. It was a tactic Keith immediately recognized.

"Allura! They want to isolate us! Will you be…"

"Yes, Keith! I have faith in you, I ask only for the same!"

"I TRUST YOU!" Keith said, even as his sword met the blade of his opponent. Nodding, Allura drew her whip and swung it at the advancing warrior. The masked man's response was to deflect the strikes with his blade and then swing at Allura.

 **CLANG!**

Allura's whip kept the blade at bay, causing him to pull it back and thrust the tip of his sword towards her. Expertly, Allura moved her whip to and fro to deflect the blade before attempting to strike the man's hands. With a forceful **CRACK** of the whip, the rapier was taken from the man, who dove to the side to pick it up.

While the man attempted to dodge and dart of the way of Allura's whip, Keith found himself in a far more straightforward duel with his opponent, sword cracking against sword as both combatants looked for an opening. The blades clanged against each other as both fighters looked for a way to disarm the other, thrusts and parries coming within centimeters of their targets, but with the warriors remaining completely un-phased throughout it all.

During the fight, the armored figure stood still, looking on at several monitors by his chair. Two unmasked assistants flanked him, looking at monitors themselves. All the while, none of the group allowed their body language, or in the case of the unmasked, their expressions, to betray their thoughts at the events below.

Undeterred, the warrior facing Allura drew a bladed weapon resembling a boomerang and tossed it at the princess, forcing her to duck out of the way. Using the distraction, he picked up the sword and prepared to drive it through his opponents heart.

 **CLANG!**

A forceful jolt rocked the man back as he saw Allura's whip blocking the thrust. Undeterred, he continued to push forward, preventing Allura from striking.

Keith observed all of this out of the corner of his eye, but the man in front of him prevented him from doing anything about it. He repeated the same mantra as before while keeping his focus on his opponent.

"I trust you."

In one quick blow, however, the simultaneous duels reached their peak when Keith deflected a blow and aimed it at his assailant's head. Meanwhile, Allura knocked the blade of the other to the side. She prepared to repay her opponent for the assault he delivered as she ran forward towards him.

Dashing backward, both men raised their hands, as one spoke.

"Stop! We yield!"

Naturally, the expression confused both Paladins. Allura was the first to respond.

"Yield?"

"Yes," the assailant replied, before removing their helmet, revealing a long flowing head of hair and light blue skin, the same shade of the other Drule. The other man nodded, revealing unkempt white hair and two red eyes.

"What's going on?" Keith yelled.

"My name is Dorma," the woman began, "and this is my brother Hazar. We are both Bladeknights of…"

"I mean why are you giving up?"

"I can answer that!" the man in the stands shouted, removing his helmet. "You see, Dorma has both psychic and empathic abilities."

"She can read minds?" Allura asked.

"Yes," Dorma answered. "It's a skill that all members of the royal family have. Even though there are precious few of us left."

"Royal family?"

"You've probably figured it out," Hazar said. "We are both related to the royal family of Drule, much like Merla, who shares our powers."

"Then why try to kill us?" Keith asked. "If she could read minds, she would know we were innocent!"

"Strong wills," Dorma said, "can resist mental probing. We had to place you in a situation where you were so singularly focused on the task at hand that you would have no choice but to leave your mind open to examination."

"Meaning…"

"Meaning trial by combat," the man in the stands said, "is not a test of martial prowess, but a means to open your mind without interference. And since Dorma has yielded, we declare you both innocent of collusion with Zeppo."

"What's Zeppo?" Keith and Allura asked in unison.

"Considering that the Voltron Paladins are sworn to defend the universe, it stands to reason we are all on the same side, are we not?"

"That remains to be seen," Allura said. "The other Paladins are still on Drule, last I checked."

"Drule?" Hazar said. "Then they're in terrible danger!"

"Please!" Keith said. "It's obvious that we've been kept out of the loop by Merla! What's going on? What is Zeppo?"

The man in the stands nodded at Keith's request. "I will explain all."

* * *

"Lance! I heard the good news!"

"Yes, our little Red Lion pilot, all grown up!"

Both Shiro and Coran emerged from a building, looking none the worse for wear, as they surrounded a rather flustered Lance, who could only nod with a somewhat embarrassed look on his face.

"I guess you guys heard the good news. It happens tomorrow apparently! Drule move fast! But I haven't seen you guys in two days!"

"Well, we got banged up," Shiro said, "but none the worse for wear."

* * *

 _Shiro, you're trying my patience. Where are the Green and Yellow Paladins?_

 _I…I don't know! This hurts! Please, stop!_

 _What about you old man? Where are they?_

 _I…I have no idea! We told them to hide, but specifically didn't tell them where!_

 _Your Highness, please! Interrogation can cause permanent damage if you keep pressing the matter! They must be telling the truth!_

 _You're happy for Lance, right? Happy for him and his beautiful bride?_

 _Very happy. Lance deserves someone to love him, and Merla deserves to be happy._

 _Then it's true. You don't know where they are. But if you find out…_

 _I will let you know. Please, let me go._

 _Well, since you're being such a good sport about it, sure!_

* * *

"It was a good thing the Galra medics were able to fix us up. Shame about Hunk and Pidge though."

"You don't know where they are?"

"During the retreat, they launched out in their lions and we haven't seen them since."

"I hope they're OK," Lance said before a voice called to him.

"Oh, there you are!" a man said. Turning around, the trio found a Drule nodding earnestly.

"The ceremony is tomorrow, and we're currently recalling all Drule forces to witness and protect it. But we must know…what kind of food do humans enjoy? I need you three to sample some dishes to make sure they're well…compatible with your palates."

"Now I really wish Hunk was here," Lance said. "But I guess I'll need to try out the free snacks. You guys wanna come?"

* * *

"Thousands of years ago, when the Galra had begun their conquest, many of the smaller empires that existed sought ways to resist them. Most failed. However, the Drule, using their massive spy networks, found out the secrets of Quintessence, and the other worlds that the Galra had found."

"Other worlds? You mean where the Quintessence came from?"

"You have yet to know Voltron's true power," the man said. "But using the power of Quintessence, the Drule created weapons that were meant to be similar to Voltron, machines known as the Bladeknights, that their pilots could call upon in battle to aid them against the horrific Robeasts that the Galra summoned. But this was not enough for some."

"The Bladeknights? You guys?"

"Many scientists believed we needed a greater edge against the coming storm of the Galra. To that end, some began scouring the Quintessence dimension, the source of the Galra military's unstoppable power, for aid. What they found was Zeppo."

* * *

 _You require aid? Well, let me come to you! I promise I can help._

 _Why would you wish to help us?_

 _I am an explorer trading knowledge for aid. Your people need aid and have knowledge. I believe it is a fair trade._

* * *

"Zeppo didn't want knowledge. He wanted power. What he failed to tell the scientists and the royals that he had swayed to his side was that he was a being of unimaginable power, one that could bend reality to his will but required Quintessence to do so."

"That's why the Drule were so desperate to get the Quintessence!" Allura said. "To restore Zeppo's power in this dimension!"

"It all seemed to make sense for the Drule royal family. He bonded them to us, with a mystic covenant. Our psychic and empathic powers only exist because Zeppo artificially boosted the latent abilities of our ancestors, and that power has been passed down through generations."

"Merla?" Keith asked. "Was she…manipulating me somehow?"

"I do not wish to cause more anger," Allura said, "but it is very likely. Your infatuation with her has completely vanished with both time and distance from her. It is perfectly possible she was controlling you via her empathic abilities."

"It is not unheard of," Hazar said. "The Drule under the royal family is essentially a cult of Zeppo. They use their powers to ensure there is no objection. Now imagine Zeppo amplifying those abilities a thousandfold."

"Entire planets could be swayed into mindless zombies!"

"When Zeppo was free, he unleashed unspeakable horror on the planets that the Drule helped him conquer, all in the name of freeing the universe from the Galra of course. Planets were turned into generators for Quintessence, its populations' willing slaves. For all the evil that the Galra have unleashed upon the universe, Zeppo was infinitely worse."

"Worse?" Allura asked.

"Zarkon sought to conquer. Zeppo sought to eliminate all that was not Zeppo. Had he been successful, the light of the entire universe would have been snuffed out. When after one mission, the original Bladeknights saw what he had done to the planets we had campaigned against, we realized that we had released a monster unto the universe. And he had to be stopped."

"So you made a deal with the devil," Keith said. Dorma nodded.

"Our ancestors took the Order of the Fang to join the Galra. We promised that in exchange for defeating Zeppo, we would lay down our swords against them. They accepted, except one."

"Our great-great-great-great-great, well, add another fifteen of those, grandfather," Hazar said, was the Crown Prince of the Drule Empire. He betrayed us, saying that Zeppo was light and peace, and we were fools. He took his armor, Eagle Sword, and sided with Zeppo."

Dorma nodded, acknowledging the truth of the story. "The final battle lasted a week. Thousands died on both side as the Order of the Fang and the Galra stormed Drule, hoping to drain it of its Quintessence and imprison Zeppo. In the end, Haggar's magic won the day, draining Drule and imprisoning Zeppo in the Grand Mirror, a mystical prison, which keeps Zeppo trapped and unable to use his Quintessence between dimensions. To prevent anyone from releasing him again, records were hidden and the means to free Zeppo were sealed away. We the Order of the Fang took an oath to guard the cosmos against threats like this for all time, to ensure Zeppo could never be freed."

"And your ignorance and single-minded campaign against the Galra," the man said, "with no thought as to what was opposing them, is set to unleash this evil upon the cosmos again!"

"Then we'll stop him!" Keith said. "If the Drule want to unleash a dark god on the universe, we'll stop the Drule. No matter what it takes!"

"Now," the man said, "That's what I want to hear! Bring them out!"

The sound of two transport ships flying overhead alerted Keith and Allura to the sky. Looking up, they smiled at the sight. The Lions, undamaged, waiting for their Paladins were being lowered into the arena for the two to board.

"We must hurry! If they have the Quintessence, they will not be waiting long to free Zeppo! We have reports their entire fleet has returned to Drule, and that's where we must be!"

Both Keith and Allura had taken the hint, boarding their respective lions and preparing them for takeoff.

* * *

"Commander Yurak, you're going want to hear this."

"Hear what Taizon?" Yurak yelled as he began looking over reports concerning the troops coming to support him. "All that idiot Lotor is sending is more of those useless fighter wings! I wanted at least half a dozen Robeasts to support our forces! As formidable as the Wraith is, it hasn't been mass produced!"

"We actually have someone on board requesting an audience…for an alliance," Taizon said. "Rather, a united front against the Drule."

"Who?" Yurak asked, his eyebrows raised along with his interest.

Stepping aside, Taizon revealed two people, one clad in green and white armor, the other in yellow and white. Yurak was taken aback by the sight.

"The Paladins?!"

"Yes," Taizon said. "Well, two of them anyway. I understand two were taken by the Order of the Fang, and one is still on Drule."

"Yeah," Hunk said. "Sorry to drop in like this, but…we kinda noticed you seemed really, REALLY aggravated about Drule being restored, and well, we're kinda getting the hint that they haven't told us everything. Especially after they hijacked our ship and took two of ours, prisoner."

"Everything? You mean you don't know about Zeppo?"

"What's a Zeppo?" Pidge asked. "Some kind of dessert?"

"Of course," Taizon said. "The Paladins would never willingly ally themselves with something as horrific as Zeppo, their feud with us be damned. The Drule leadership has been lying to you."

"We suspected as much," Hunk said. "And well, we're not exactly happy about this, but…"

"But?"

"We have a common enemy. And judging by how panicked the Galra are compared to even Voltron, it's something that's going to be big trouble for all of us if we're not there."

"There's an old human proverb," Pidge said, looking at the snarling face of Yurak. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Grimacing, Yurak nodded.

"It is not a friendship that will last past this one operation. But…we need all the help we can get. The Drule have recalled all of their forces to their homeworld to defend it while using the Quintessence to free Zeppo. If you will lend your lions to our cause, then we will fight as allies. Once."

"We weren't asking it to be a habit," Hunk said. "Just because this Zeppo thing might threaten the entire universe doesn't mean the Galra are saints."

Groaning, Yurak said, "Haggar is not going to like this one bit."

"Then I suggest we don't let her know," Taizon said. "Not a word of this has been said to the men save a select few. No one else needs to know."

Yurak nodded, before saying, "Taizon, you're in charge of them. Make sure they're fed and don't let the others see them!"

"Me sir?"

"You bought strays on board! You're responsible for them! I'm going to the hangar. We need to have all weapons at peak fighting form when the time comes!"

* * *

"Lord Zeppo, I am to be wed tomorrow! And you will be free!"

"Tomorrow will be a glorious day, my child," Zeppo said from within the mirror he stood inside. "You will be wed in the Grand Temple, and I will be free. And then…"

"I shall have my king, my world, and the power to end the Galra once and for all! I will have Devilscourge!"

"Yes," Zeppo said. "Yes you will. I trust all the pieces are in place for the ceremony?"

"All. And the entire fleet now hovers above Drule, prepared to defend it from any invader."

"Good, child. Then rest. You have a busy day tomorrow."

As Merla left, the grin that split her face never faltering even once, Zeppo smiled.

"Soon, I shall have my vengeance on this universe. I will have my vengeance on the Galra. And you, my child, through the covenant your forefathers had made with me, shall be the instrument of my will."

The child, Zeppo thought, was now a young woman. But her hopes and dreams meant little compared to what he needed her for.

"Child, you are the innocent rage. You are innocent hatred. You are the innocent sword. You are the instrument of my will, a will all in this dimension shall feel!"


	9. My Stepfather The Dark God

Fumbling with the bowtie on the tuxedo he wore, a replicated product from the Castle's fabric machines, Lance began to sweat profusely. Taking the towel Shiro offered him, he breathed heavily.

"I've never been this nervous in my entire life, Shiro."

Looking on at his image in the mirror, Lance seemed to fit every criterion necessary for the melding of Earth and Drule traditions concerning union. At his side, his bayard rested, reflecting a Drule tradition concerning having a weapon present at the union to symbolize the strength of the participant. There was no weapon he would rather have at his side, but his weapon was useless against the fears he now faced.

"Never?"

"Not even when flying the Lions," Lance said. "I'll be honest about something else, I always expected Hunk to do this. But Merla was so adamant about getting it done right away, and I can't say no to her, right?"

"It was essential that the wedding, that the rite of joining kinship occur at the same time as the revival of Drule," Coran said from his seat in the lounge. "Otherwise we would have waited until we found the others."

"You have the ring, right Shiro?"

"Just like the last six times that you asked," Shiro said. "Don't worry. This is gonna go off without a hitch."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Lance said, as he finally straightened his bowtie. "So, when do I go out there?"

"In approximately 30 of your minutes," Coran said. "From what I understand, this will be broadcast to every single Drule starship and home."

"Maybe I should check my tie again…"

* * *

The blockade of Drule ships was a remnant of their once legendary power. Fifty starships, led by the _Drule's Hope_ , stood guard over the planet as its crews eagerly looked on at the live broadcast from the once barren Grand Temple. Citizens from all over the empire had returned to pay their respects to what would be the new seat of power, and its leaders, in particular, the Red Lion pilot, who would be anointed King of the Drule.

As the crewmembers of a frigate focused more on the band warming up the crowd in the broadcast, alarms blared over the ship, causing the panicked crew to focus on the source of the disturbance.

"Twenty Galra ships are closing in on us! Looks like a Galra fighter wing!"

"What? That's it?"

"No, sir! Two other ships are taking the lead. It's…the Voltron Lions! Yellow and Green!"

"Yellow and Green? We have orders to shoot them on sight! Open fire!"

* * *

Cannons rained down laser fire on the Green and Yellow Lions as the fighter wing behind them went off to attack the capital ships. As they did their best to move out of the way, a transmission beamed into both Lions.

"Paladins," the familiar voice of Commander Yurak said, "focus on breaking through that blockade and getting to the surface. See if you can find where the Quintessence is being pumped through. We're currently awaiting the Druid's Quintessence gatherer, but if you can stop it, we may not need it!"

"What about you?" Hunk asked.

"The Wraith will attack the capital ship along with our fighter craft, while we give you a clear shot to the surface! He's your friend after all! If I go down, I will NOT exercise any undue caution for his sake!"

"You made your point!" Hunk said, before returning to the task at hand. Fighter jets flew from the Drule carriers and began shooting at the Lions, even as the Wraith led the second squadron towards the larger enemy vessels.

"They're just fighter jets!" Pidge said. "Easy!"

Several explosions rattled Hunk, who looked at the two ships closing, forming quite a different opinion of the ability of the jets to impede their progress.

"Not easy! Not easy!"

While searching for a way in, a second wormhole opened near the planet. Both Hunk and Pidge stared intently, unsure of just who it could be.

"Ally or friend?"

 _I would hope by now you consider us friends._

"Princess!"

 _Don't forget about me!_

"Keith!" Hunk exclaimed. "We gotta hurry! They're gonna…"

"I heard. Quintessence. Dark god. Really nasty stuff. We're the only ones that can stop it. Right?"

"Well, that and…"

"Merla's evil, I know!"

"She has Lance!" Pidge interrupted. "And Shiro and Coran! Tune your comm to this frequency!"

* * *

Standing at the head of the temple in his tuxedo, Lance recognized the strains of _Here Comes the Bride_ after playing it for the Drule musicians. He smiled, looking on at the woman dressed in all white, save the sword on her side, sheathed in a black scabbard. As Shiro looked on from his place approvingly, Lance couldn't believe his luck in having this woman marry him. In front of them both, a Drule officer in a military uniform stood on top of a slightly raised platform, giving off an air of authority to both the bride and groom, as well as the presented crowd.

"Friends who could be here today, and friends who could not. We are gathered here to welcome this outsider into the ranks of Drule, as our king, chosen by our queen Merla. The rite of bringing in outsiders began…"

Tremors shook the temple as Lance instinctively reached for Merla, who looked on at him with an expression of relief.

"I feel so much safer with you beside me," she said.

"What was that?'

"I don't know. Perhaps a side effect of the Quintessence being pumped into the planet in order to restore it?"

"Shouldn't they slow down then?'

"No! Well, I mean, it's probably nothing. Just growing pains on a planetary level. Marshall! Continue!"

"Right, of course," the flustered man in the uniform said, before returning to the book before him. Turning to his best man and groomsman, both nodded at the affair, signaling to Lance that he was better off proceeding.

* * *

 _What?! I can feel myself…I'm free?_

 _No, not free. The earth beneath me, the oceans, the mountains, are all extensions of my will._

 _The prison has not been escaped completely. It has anchored me to Drule. But from here my influence can spread. It is now my ally!_

 _I AM FREE!_

 _What the? Above this planet? Parasites! How DARE you strike me? My daughter is to be married, and nothing will get in the way!_

 _Daughter…I like that._

* * *

Despite initial worries, the Drule defenses began to buckle against the superior power of the Lions and the forces of the Galra. An opening in the defensive line soon presented itself, one that all four lions ran towards.

"Well come on guys," Keith said, "we have a wedding to crash!"

 _Acknowledged Paladins,_ a voice from the intercom replied. "We have a positive target on the Quintessence locations. Proceed."

 **THWOOSH!**

Without warning, a massive object moving at incredible speed collided with the Galra cruiser the message originated from. The ensuing collision left nothing of the vessel but debris floating in space, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Commander Yurak.

"What did that?! I thought we had accounted for all anti-space defenses!"

 _Unknown sir! We couldn't trace its loc…_

Another object shot into space from Drule, colliding into a second Galra ship. Much like the first, what remained was nothing but broken metal and debris.

"What's going on?" Allura asked.

 _The enemy is firing from an unknown position. It looks like superheated metal!_

"If I didn't know better, Hunk said, "it's like something is just shooting off chunks of the planet itself!"

"Chunks of the planet?" a voice called from a machine behind them.

"Dorma!"

"Who's Dorma?" Pidge asked. "Wait, weren't they the?"

"Long story. Probably as long as the one about you getting the Galra to fight here, wouldn't you say?"

"Short version!" Pidge said.

"Zeppo is free!" Dorma said. "He is using the planet itself as a weapon!"

"What do we do?" Allura asked, only for a second machine to appear alongside Dorma's.

"Hazar!"

"We will handle everything up here! Hurry to the planet! Rescue the Red Lion pilot!"

"From getting married?" Hunk asked.

"From becoming another thrall of Zeppo!'

The four lions, seeing an opening, began to move towards the planet, only to see a small Drule cruiser approaching the opening, guns blazing.

"Dorma!"

"Yes!"

Two streaks flew past the lions towards the cannons, striking them with swords as quickly as possible. The opening allowed the Lions to descend towards Drule.

"The broadcast is coming from the Grand Temple!" Hunk said.

"Then that's where we're headed. Send a signal to the castle."

"But Coran and Shiro…"

"I know. That's not who it's for."

* * *

 _I wish to enjoy the ceremony of my daughter's marriage, the symbol of my power in this universe, and all these parasites seek is to disrupt….AAAGH!_

 _They seek to destroy me! Well, then I will show them the sheer unimaginable power they face!_

* * *

The temple shook again, far more forcefully than before, as Lance's creeping doubt turned to complete and unwavering worry. He was unsure of how to react.

"Merla, it's not safe here! We have to get to safety!"

"My love, we could not be safer anywhere else. This ceremony must be performed."

"But…"

"You heard her," Shiro said. "We'll be fine."

Nodding, Lance prepared to return to the ceremony when another tremor shook the building. This ended up being too much for the Paladin to bear.

"No, I can't! Not now! It's not safe!"

"It is," Merla said reassuringly. "Can't you see? Your concern is admirable but unnecessary."

"But…"

"No buts! Marshall!"

"Very well your Highness," the Marshall said as he turned to a page in his text. "Should anyone find a reason to object to this union, let them…

 **BOOM!**

 **CRASH!**

An explosion tore through the ceiling of the temple, revealing the Voltron lions floating ahead, including the Red Lion. Quickly, Pidge and Allura began broadcasting through their comms to the crowd below.

"We object!"

"Wha…guys?! What's going on?" Lance asked, shocked at the turn of events. The crowd, stunned at what was going on, and terrified at the explosions, ran for the exit of the building as quickly as they could. Soon only part of the camera crew remained, filing Merla, Lance, Shiro, Coran, and the Lions.

"Lance! Merla's working for a dark god that threatens the entire universe! This whole time you and Keith were just her pawns!"

"W…what?!"

"This is nonsense!" a voice called out as a figure stood before Lance. Looking on, Lance was shocked it was Shiro, standing unwavering in front of the engaged couple.

"Shiro!" Keith called. "You need to move out of the way! I know what's causing all this! This…thing called Zeppo!"

"Keith! First off, your accusations are ridiculous! Merla is helping us fight the Galra remember? Don't you remember why you're in that lion? Second, what Zeppo? I think you're just jealous Merla chose Lance over you!"

Looking on at his mentor, Keith was unsure of how to respond. This wasn't helped by Coran's interjection mere moments later.

"You're all acting ridiculous, a product of misinformation. Now please stand down! We have a wedding to complete, and then you have a temple to help rebuild!"

The Paladins were left speechless at the words of Shiro and Coran, both of whom stood unwavering in front of the confused couple. All except one, who leapt down from his lion to confront the pair.

"Guys, move aside. Lance, I hate to do this to you, but as a friend, I'm telling you to take a rain check on this wedding!"

"Hunk?"

"Stand aside fat one," Coran said, "or else!"

"Or else what Alfred?" Hunk answered, getting into a fighting stance as he did so. Coran's response was to throw a punch at Hunk's head, which he ducked under as he grabbed Coran's neck in one arm and his right arm in the other.

 **WHAM!**

Forcefully, Hunk swept Coran's leg out from underneath him, landing his considerable bulk on the Altean. The impact of hitting the hard floor of the temple and the force from Hunk's body knocked Coran out cold.

With Coran dealt with, Hunk stood up, prepared to explain everything to his friend, even as he stood dumbfounded next to his bride-to-be and the marshal overseeing the ceremony. However, he found himself interrupted by another form.

"Move aside, fatty. You're not stopping this wedding."

"Shiro, listen to yourself!" Hunk pleaded. "This isn't you! We need to get Lance out of here!"

"Not a choice for you to make!" Shiro said. "Now leave! You've ruined what was supposed to be a wonderful day!"

"I don't want to hurt you," Hunk said, staring down the Black Paladin.

"Don't worry fatty," Shiro replied, charging his opponent. "You can't!"

Hunk attempted to grab Shiro to toss him the way he had Coran, but ate a knee to his gut for his trouble, followed by the powerful blow of his metal arm over Hunk's head. As he fell to his knees, Shiro stood above him, taunting him. The others, unwilling to make a chaotic situation worse, could only sit back and look on helplessly from the cockpits of their lions.

"You know, you always were the worst of us," Shiro said. "Not being able to pilot the Black Lion? Fine. Seeing one of my subordinates get married before me? I'm glad. But you, you were always the biggest waste of space. And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's people like you."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Hunk said, struggling to stand.

"I'd accept everything but a worthless sack of crap like you trying to interrupt what's supposed to be the happiest day of Lance's life out of jealousy. " As he said this, Shiro raised his metal arm over his head, preparing to strike a finishing blow.

"Now DIE, YOU LITTLE TURD!"

Wasting no time, Hunk raised his arms to block the blow, straining mightily against Shiro's arm. The Yellow Paladin winced until he felt Shiro's blow waver. Moving to the side, he kicked Shiro in the leg, standing to his feet as Shiro wobbled for a moment.

"Guess I know how you feel about me. Wish I could say it was mutual."

"Only thing you need to feel is pain," Shiro answered, only to be stopped by the sound of a gun being fired. Turning around, Shiro saw Lance, rifle at the ready from his bayard, pointing said rifle at Shiro.

"Lance? I'm on your side!"

"No you aren't," Lance said, walking over to where Hunk was, his rifle trained on Shiro the entire time. "The Shiro I know would never act this way, and neither would Coran. Wanting me to get married ASAP, forgetting everyone else, everything about this setup is wrong."

"But my love," Merla said, before Lance shook his head.

"I don't know what you did to them," Lance said, "but relationships are built on trust. We…don't have that anymore." Turning to Hunk, he said, "Let's go."

"But Shiro…"

"I know."

 _ **HOW DARE YOU SPURN MY DAUGHTER'S HAND!**_

The sudden noise caused Lance and Hunk to jump from where they stood, and the others, who stared helplessly at the fight between Hunk and Shiro, stared at the massive mirror in the temple. In it was not their reflection, but a man with light blue skin and a mustache, his cold red eyes staring through the mirror at Lance, who could only look on horrified.

 _ **You were offered the universe! To rule Drule alongside my daughter! And you spat in her eye! I will make you suffer!**_

Looking at the image in the mirror, Keith could only grimace at the sight.

"Zeppo."

"Keith!" Lance said. "You know what this thing is?"

"It's…"

 _ **I can speak for myself mortal! I have been imprisoned here by the Galra for millennia, and now I am free! The Galra will suffer for imprisoning me here, and so will the rest of the universe!**_

"No you won't!" Allura said. "The Galra are aware of you! Drule will be stripped once more, and we will seal you away!"

"Lance!" Keith said. "Board Red now!"

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Lance said as the Red and Yellow Lions lowered themselves towards the ground, allowing Hunk and Lance to board them. Shiro, his eyes glowing white, was set to pursue them, but stopped. In front of them, Merla looked on, only for her eyes to be replaced with the same white glow.

 _ **Child, you are the instrument of my will. You know what you must do.**_

"Yes, I do."

All five lions stood before Merla, Shiro, and the mirror that held Zeppo's visage. Looking on, Keith knew what had to be done.

"We need to seal that portal before Zeppo runs free! FORM VOLTRON!"

AS the trio looked on, the five lions twisted and contorted until they united into the form of Voltron, the giant robot's massive form landing inside the hole in the temple, widening it significantly as the once proud roof collapsed. The whole time, Shiro and Merla stood on the debris, unflinching.

 _ **Daughter, you and my new assistant have a weapon capable of defeating this 'Voltron', the one you asked for. Use it to destroy your enemies!**_

"I will father."

"Shiro!" Keith yelled, but it was to no avail as he stood before Merla and the debris while Merla began to chant.

"I am innocent rage. I am innocent hatred. I call forth the innocent sword, DEVILSCOURGE!"

A bright light shined in front of Voltron and the Paladins. When it cleared, the temple that had stood on Drule for thousands of years had vanished, every last ounce of stone and metal save the mirror replaced by a massive robot equal in stature to even Voltron. Inside it, Merla sat before two controls while Shiro stood, surrounded by a screen that wrapped around him as if he were floating, while several cables connected him to the a computer console. Movement from his limbs moved the limbs of the mighty silver and black machine, with massive shoulders and a horn on its head. Alongside its body was text in an ancient tongue, the meaning alien to the Paladins.

"Shiro!" Keith said. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry Keith," Shiro answered, moving the fist of Devilscourge towards Voltron. "You can't!"

 _ **Yes my children,**_ Zeppo taunted from the still intact mirror, the sole remaining object from the temple that stood. _ **FIGHT!**_


	10. Vision of Final Combat

"Well, well, well," began the visage of Zeppo as he looked on at Devilscourge and Voltron, two massive titans of steel and otherworldly power, prepared to square off. "Even if you power was comparable to mine, could you really find it in yourself to harm your friend? Lance seemed to view Shiro as a mentor. I trust the rest of you feel similar. Don't you, Keith?"

"Shiro, please…" Keith said, but was answered by a powerful strike from Devilscourge's fist. The blow sent Voltron crashing to the ground, rattling everyone on board.

"Keith, it's not too late!" Shiro said. "All you have to do is come out of Voltron! Then we can finally get Lance married and focus on the true issue here, restoring Drule to its former glory!"

"Shiro, you're being controlled!"

"Nonsense! The Galra tried to control me and failed! Now I get to have my revenge against them, and so does Queen Merla! Isn't that what we all wanted? Right Princess?"

"I wanted to free the universe from tyranny," Allura said. "I will not trade one tyrant for another, especially one as vile as Zeppo!"

"Then you aren't needed!" Shiro answered as Devilscourge moved to strike once more. "Where Voltron and the Paladins once stood as the universe's symbol of hope, now Devilscourge and the Drule shall take their place!"

"Shiro's not even talking normally anymore!" Hunk said, moving Voltron out of the way of Devilscourge's fist. "Keith, we have to take him out!"

"Fine!" Keith said, reluctance clear in his voice. "Form sword!"

Placing the bayard into the lion before him, Lance watched as the massive blue sword formed in Voltron's hands. Shiro's only response, however, was to laugh.

"You call THAT a sword?! Queen Merla, let's show them a real sword!"

"Of course!"

In Devilscourge's hands formed a sword like Voltron's, black in color from the blade to the handle. The thick blade and wide handle were swung towards Voltron with otherworldly might, the combined forces of the Paladins doing their best to keep from being cleaved in two.

"This thing might be even stronger than Voltron!" Pidge said.

"Impossible!" Allura replied. "Voltron cannot fall!"

"It can and it will Princess!" Shiro said. "But you know I'd rather have all of you on my side! So give up now while you can!"

"He's stronger," Keith said, moving quickly to the right, "so we need to fight smarter!"

 **CLANG!**

Keith's feint was caught by Shiro's blade, while the former Black Paladin laughed at his old charge.

"Did you really think that was going to work? You're ten years too early to challenge me, kid!"

A forceful swipe from Devilscourge's blade sent Voltron flying, while a second slash sent a shockwave of energy towards the Paladins. By only a few meters, Voltron avoided the shockwave, rolling to one side as it stood again.

"Guys?" Lance said. "I don't know if we can take this thing!"

"We have to!" Keith said. "No matter what it takes, we have to stop this thing!"

"Can you really bring yourself to kill me, Keith? Can you lead on your own? You know I'm better than you. That's why you begged me to take back the Black Lion! I'm the one true Black Paladin, and you are NOTHING!"

"Shiro…"

Wasting no time, the machine before Keith drew two massive rifles, one in each hand, and began firing them without any signs of difficulty. The impact of the beams caused Voltron to shake and nearly fall, despite the shield placed for protection.

"Keith!" Lance yelled. "We need to move!"

Moving forward, Voltron drew its sword again, dancing through the air to dodge the rifle blasts. Moving to and fro, the machine finally swept downward, prepared to strike.

"Keith! You're so predictable!"

"Am I?"

The blade of Voltron did not strike the torso, as Keith had done so many times before, but rather the legs, with Shiro's own blade too high to block the strike. The sword ripped through both legs, dropping Devilscourge to its knees as Voltron stood before it.

"It's over Shiro," Keith said, only to be interrupted by the furious laughter from the mirror.

"Zeppo?"

"You fool!" Zeppo said through the mirror. "Devilscourge is an extension of my power, my infinite power! Did you really think a scratch from that little metal blade would be enough to defeat it?"

Accenting his point, the machine stood again, the gashes in the metal ripped open by Voltron's sword disappearing until there was no evidence it took damage in the first place. From inside the machine, Merla cackled.

"Zeppo is light and glory for the Drule! It will take a lot more than the likes of you to defeat him! But for us…"

A bright ball of light formed in the right hand of Devilscourge, with the instruments in the cockpits of Voltron reacting immediately.

"Readings are off the charts!" Pidge said. "I think that thing…created a singularity!"

"What?"

"If it touches us, we're all going to be scattered across two universes, and probably not in one piece!"

 **BOOM!**

A barrage of laser fire struck the ground, causing Zeppo to scream in agony, but more importantly, the singularity in the hand of Devilscourge to vanish. The Paladins could only look on confused until a message came through their communicators.

 _If Zeppo is linked to the planet, we can stun him by attacking the planet! But the link must be severed!_

"Taizon!"

 _Hurry Yellow Paladin! The Drule fleet is no match for us, but if Zeppo is able to use his power we will fall! Voltron must re-imprison Zeppo!_

Allura was quick to realize what had to be done.

"The sword! It can close and widen gaps in dimensional fabric! It can cut off Zeppo's link from his prison!"

"Then," Keith said, "let's hurry!

Drawing its sword back, Voltron prepared to strike the mirror with Zeppo's visage. Before it could, the image changed to a being in black armor with two glowing green eyes and no mouth.

"I am not so easily defeated, Paladins! But perhaps you would join me in another universe altogether! Daughter! Deal with the Galra!"

"What?!"

A bright flash appeared, and both Voltron and the visage of Zeppo were gone, leaving Shiro and Merla alone on the battlefield.

"We must deal with the fleet!"

"Of course!"

The engines of the massive machine roared as it headed into space to deal with those that would dare oppose Zeppo.

* * *

"W…where are we?"

"Instruments can't find anything! No sign of Drule, or that enemy machine! We're in a void!"

 **NO, YOU ARE NOW UNDER MY POWER. I AM NOW FREE, AND I NOW CONTROL THE FABRIC BETWEEN DIMENSIONS. MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE, PALADINS OF VOLTRON!**

"ZEPPO! SHOW YOURSELF!"

 **I HAVE A BETTER IDEA. I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU THE COMPLETE FUTILITY OF YOUR QUEST TO STOP ME!**

Without warning, a bright streak of light struck Voltron as the void around them started to become clearer. Looking around, the Paladins noticed a familiar sight.

"Guys!" Lance began. "That's Earth!"

"It is!"

"And that's about to hit it!"

Turning to their right, the group saw a massive asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

"What's going on?" Hunk asked. "Isn't this an illusion?"

 **IS IT? MAYBE I SENT YOU TO THE EARTH IN THE FUTURE! MAYBE I HAVE SENT YOU TO A PARALLEL EARTH! NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE BEYOND ME!**

The voice of Zeppo was deep and haughty, his smug confidence dripping from every word. Unsure of how to proceed, they flew towards the asteroid, only to be struck again by the streak of light.

"Zeppo?! Is that you?"

"KEITH! I will have your head!"

The voice was different but recognizable. The streak of light stood still, revealing that said "light" was merely exhaust from the engines on the back of a gigantic purple machine with two shoulders broad enough to be wings and a face with a single red eye. In one hand it held a gigantic rifle, in another, a shield. The single eye stared at Voltron menacingly as Keith recognized its pilot.

"Lotor!"

"Emperor Lotor, Keith! Emperor under the dominion of Zeppo and the new United Diktat! You drove me to this!"

"I…I what?"

"Don't pretend otherwise! During your battle with Acxa and the second comet ship, you struck her down!"

"I…I what?"

Hunk, Lance, Allura, and Pidge all looked on intently to Lotor describing an event that, to their knowledge, hadn't occurred. Or rather, hadn't occurred as of yet. Did Zeppo truly fling them into the future?

"Don't you remember Keith?"

* * *

 _Acxa, please! We gave your friends asylum, we can do it for you!_

 _Their asylum led to Lotor killing all of them! I…I…can't leave him!_

 _But why? You know we're the same! Zarkon and Haggar are dead! There's no Empire left to fight for!_

 _Why couldn't I have met you earlier?!_

"Were it not for the interference of that fool Romelle…she would have survived. Instead…"

 _Emperor, look out! AHHHHH!_

 _Acxa!_

 _Acxa, no!_

* * *

"You loved her, same as I! And if you couldn't have her, I couldn't either! Well, two can play this game, Keith! You've taken away everything from me, my family, my empire, and drove me to the service of Zeppo! Now I'll take everything from you, starting with your home!"

This…felt like the future to Keith, or rather, 'a' future. A way that time had moved to this point, after dozens if not hundreds of other choices that led him there. The deaths of friends, enemies, and if Lotor was correct, finding love and hate. It was overwhelming. But it made no sense. Even if memories flashed before his eyes, Keith felt like the story was someone else's, that he was forced into the narrative.

Allura meanwhile, was focused on one name.

"Romelle?"

"Who's Romelle?" Lance asked.

"Romelle was my cousin."

"Is she single?"

"WAS. I'm sure she's dead now. For Zeppo to claim she still lives is absurd."

Keith ignored the contemplation, his focus squarely on the enemy before him. "You're just a pawn of Zeppo!'

"Zeppo is light!" Lotor said. "He promised me an army and a galaxy to rule to spread his dominion over this universe! Now die!"

From the wings of the massive machine, several floating cannons began to move and fire at Voltron from all directions. Their small size and incredible agility made targeting them incredibly difficult, even as they continued to chip away at Voltron.

"Pidge! Shield! Hunk! Cannon!"

"GOT IT!"

The shield of Voltron formed to deflect the blasts while scattered fire from the cannon attacked the small cannons flying about.

"They're agile, but they can't take a lot of punishment!"

"Like you can?!"

A massive blast of energy struck Voltron's shield, but with enough force to send it spinning towards the asteroid. Lotor's wasted no time, flying towards Voltron guns blazing.

"Now you see the true power of Zeppo! The power he's given me through the Crimson Dawn and through this asteroid! The power I'm going to unleash upon the cosmos!"

* * *

The remaining ships from the Drule fleet were in full retreat from the Galra forces. Offering himself a moment, Yurak smiled. After all, the operation was going fairly easily. Perhaps they would bring in the druids in time so they wouldn't even need Voltron. He'd be hailed as a hero. Perhaps even given a promotion to Zarkon's inner circle.

"How much longer before the collector is in position?"

"Another 20 or so doboshes till they're primed!" a voice answered. Smiling, Yurak turned his attention to the retreating ships.

"Then let's mop up here! Enemy units are pulling back!"

"Commander!" Taizon yelled. "There's a new enemy coming from the surface!"

"What?!"

Soaring into the battlefield was a massive humanoid machine with glowing eyes pointed right at the fleet.

"What is that?"

"I think that was the machine engaging Voltron sir!"

"Well, why should they get to have all the fun? Continue paving the way for the druids. I'll handle this myself!"

Moving quickly towards the machine, Yurak's Wraith quickly began to move to and fro to dodge machine gun fire from the new enemy. Two beams fired from rifles, in turn, merely bounced away harmlessly as Yurak closed in.

"I don't see why the Paladins had such a difficult time with you!"

Cannons from the Wraith opened fire on the new machine, but only for its attacks to vanish into a huge black ball held in the machine's right hand.

"W…what is that?"

"Sir!" Taizon yelled. "We're picking up what looks like a spacial singularity! It's right next to you! Get out!"

"I can't let this thing get near the fleet!"

"QUANTUM IMPACT!"

The voice of Shiro roared throughout the comm channels as the singularity in Devilscourge's hand collided with the Wraith and Yurak. Static soon enveloped the channels of the Galra forces as Taizon looked on from his position on the bridge of the Galra ship, a brilliant light vanishing into nothingness.

"Commander Yurak! Commander Yurak!"

No voice responded.

"Commander Taizon!" a helmsman said.

"What? What is it?"

"The Supreme Commander…he's…"

"He…"

Taizon was unsure of how to respond. He didn't know Yurak for very long but came to respect the honor-driven Galra for both his demeanor and the fact that he took a mere librarian to a position of honor. This should not have been his reward.

"Our orders were if the Supreme Commander…if something happened to him, you were to take command of the fleet. Your orders?"

"Commander Yurak cannot have died in vain. All ships, full volley towards the enemy! We must let the druids complete their task!"

"Of course sir!"

Cannon fire streaked across the bows of all the ships towards the target, but none seemed to impact. Then, without warning, the machine moved towards a Galra cruiser.

"SOLAR STRIKE!"

A bright yellow flash of light flew through two cruisers, followed by both exploding into brilliant fireballs. Keeping his eyes on the unit, another call took Taizon's attention.

"Sir! We have reports from the surface! The debris on the planet, it's being…"

"Being what?"

"You had better see this sir."

"On-screen!"

Looking on at the surface, charred metal sank into the planet, as if it was being absorbed by it. Soon, Drule fighter jets, seemingly fresh from the factory, emerged from the ground, as if the planet was churning the debris into new weapons.

"Sir, orders!"

"Destroy those new ships before they can get up here! The rest of you, after that machine!"

Sitting in the captain's chair of the Galra battleship, Taizon gritted his teeth.

"Paladins, where are you? We are running out of time!"

* * *

Jerking the controls violently to the left, Voltron avoided the swipe of the Crimson Dawn, Lotor's mecha relentless in its pursuit of Voltron. Looking on at it, none of the Paladins were sure how to face the machine until Pidge spoke up.

"Guys, I have an idea, but it banks on this all being a lie!"

"What?" Hunk asked. "What do you mean a lie?"

"This isn't the future. This is a script from an HBO show. Zeppo just put us and Lotor into the roles of those characters!"

"DIE PALADINS!" Lotor yelled, even as another barrage of lasers nearly cut Voltron's head clean from its body. Wasting no time, Voltron readied its sword.

"We can't get near that thing without eating lasers!"

"It's not our target," Pidge said. "If my theory is correct, we need to strike…there!"

"The asteroid?" Allura asked.

"If Voltron's sword can pierce dimensional fabric, it can shatter Zeppo's illusion! And that thing is the biggest target in this illusion!"

"And if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong Lance, it won't matter because we'll be dead! But fighting an illusion here is pointless if I'm right!"

As fast as its jets could take it, Voltron flew towards its intended target, with Zeppo in close pursuit. Lotor quickly took notice.

"What are they doing? I won't allow you to escape!"

"Keep moving! We're almost there!"

Drawing its blade back, Voltron prepared to plunge its sword into the asteroid, only for the presence of the Crimson Dawn to be felt behind them, a blade of energy drawn to strike Voltron down.

"KEITH!"

"Keith, do it now!"


	11. Key to the Prison

"DIE PALADINS!"

"KEITH, DO IT NOW!"

With the shouts of Pidge encouraging him, and Lotor's threat highlighting the urgency of the situation, the sword of Voltron jammed itself into the asteroid when a bright light emanated from it. The asteroid, the Crimson Dawn, and even the Earth and the stars, all vanished, leaving Voltron and the paladins in an endless void.

"It worked!" Pidge said.

"What did?" Lance asked.

"Zeppo's story…he read all our minds, blended ideas together into a fiction. But it was a fiction. An illusion. He made the mistake of using things I recognized from a show on HBO I liked to watch."

"So no matter how complex his story was…"

"It was only as good as the weakest link."

Unlike the others, Keith was nowhere near as impressed with the shattering of Zeppo's illusion.

"Show yourself Zeppo! You can read our minds, but you can't trick us!"

A sinister laugh echoed throughout the nothingness that Voltron occupied. Looking up and down though, they found no trace of whom it belonged to.

" **Yes, I could show myself to you, engage you in some grand dramatic battle, and leave you crumpled at my feet, or I could simply leave you floating there until you die of old age. Both options are appealing."**

"You're a coward, Zeppo!" Keith said. "Come out and fight!"

" **This is a battle you can't win Keith. You know you're no match for me because you can't be a real leader! If Shiro was there, he would find a way to stop me, but now Shiro is in my thrall!"**

"You…"

" **No,"** Zeppo continued. **"We will not meet again. You can't escape here since you have no idea where 'here' begins and ends. I need not risk myself when I can just wait for the frailty of your bodies to take their toll…and expire."**

"This won't work!" Keith shouted, pushing Voltron forward through the void. But there was nothing to meet him but more endless void.

" **You will be given one gift from me, Keith,"** Zeppo said. **"You will be allowed to view the destruction of the Galra you craved so, and watch as Shiro executes my will."**

Before Voltron was an image of the form of Devilscourge fighting its way through the Galra fleet, single-handedly doing what the Drule fleet could not. As he looked on, Keith clenched his fists.

"This is it? This is all I can do?"

* * *

"W…what happened?"

Coran rose to his feet, feeling as if someone had dropped a huge rock on his midsection. He had no idea what happened since the last thing he remembered was being chained next to Shiro in Merla's torture chamber. Instead, he stood outside in the bright sun, with nothing in the immediate vicinity save the nearby town, and a massive mirror.

"By the cosmos…Voltron?!"

Within the mirror was the image of Voltron, floating helplessly in a black void. Coran had no idea what had happened; just that whatever this thing was, Voltron was imprisoned inside.

"Hold on Paladins!" Coran said as he ran towards the Castle. "I'll save you!"

Despite the tremendous pain in his midsection, Coran ran to the Castle of Lions, sitting on the bridge and waiting to power on the engines and weapons. As the monitors activated, several squeaking noises took Coran's attention.

"Well hello to you too," Coran said. "Look, I know it seems odd, but we must get going now!"

The five mice squeaked continuously, causing Coran to nod in acknowledgment. "Brainwashed! Me? That does explain why I didn't remember anything after being imprisoned. And yes, I know about Merla."

More squeaking hit Coran's ears when his eyes turned wide at the giant mirror.

"Is this wise?"

The continued squeaks indicated that yes, it was. Breathing heavily, Coran began to press buttons on the controls before him.

"Castle, LAUNCH!"

The thundering of the engines echoed throughout the area as the Castle of Lions lifted into the air, heading directly for the mirror.

"Never fear, Paladins! Coran is coming to save you, and he's bringing the thunder and lightning along with him!"

* * *

Explosions rattled the Galra fleet as ships flew to and fro in multiple directions. Despite the best efforts of the fleet, they found themselves unable to contend with the machine dancing and darting its way through the Galra ships, making complete mincemeat of fighter squadrons.

"It's no good!" a helmsman yelled to Taizon. "We're shooting down anything from the surface before it makes it up here, but that singular unit is too fast and too powerful for our cruisers!"

"Where are the Bladeknights? Surely they can help!"

 _RIGHT HERE!_

From the debris of a destroyed Drule cruiser, several of the armored machines drew their blades and struck Devilscourge, which sent them all fleeing with a swipe of its own massive sword. With brute force a questionable option, Dorma stood before Merla.

"Merla! You're being controlled!"

"How dare you? Who are you to tell me what I'm doing?"

"I am from the same Drule blood as you! Please, working with Zeppo is worse than the Galra! Your fleet is routed! This can still be resolved peacefully!"

"If you truly are Drule blood," Merla said, "then you're a traitor to your people!"

"Dorma, look out!"

"HAZAR!"

A clean swipe of the massive sword of Devilscourge split Hazar's Bladeknight in two, destroying it, but not before Dorma was pushed out of the way.

"He was a fool, Your Highness," Shiro reassured Merla. "Let's take them…AAHHHH!"

The "AAAAHHH!" came as a result of a powerful cannon blast from Taizon's battlecruiser striking Devilscourge directly. Back on the bridge of the battlecruiser, Taizon and his crew looked on intently at the incident.

"Direct hit with our main volley!"

"Do we have confirmed destruction of the target?"

"Sir?"

"Do we have confirmed destruction?" In response to the questions, two crewmembers began to zoom in on the blast and gasped.

Even as it flew back due to the immense power of the cannon, the robot known as Devilscourge remained intact. Taizon noticed the deep scorching of the metal already beginning to repair itself, with the machine slowly returning to normal.

"A normal machine would have been atomized into dust! And yet this…the thing still stands! Hurry Paladins! We can't win on our own!"

* * *

"We can't do anything out here!" Allura said.

The movement seemed to show nothing but more of the same empty void. Communications were equally fruitless, with every channel revealing nothing but static.

"It's no use Hunk," Pidge said. "There's no way our communications can cross dimensional barriers. We're stuck."

"And we have enough food and water for a week," Allura said. "The Lions can only hold so many emergency supplies."

"So we're floating in the endless void of space," Lance said, "watching Shiro destroy the Galra. For Zeppo."

"Waiting to die," Keith said.

"Really know how to bring the team together, huh Keith?"

"You think I want to be here?! That coward won't show his face!"

"This is all quite pointless," Allura said. "All we can do is continue broadcasting a distress signal, and hope that someone finds us."

" **Quit your whining,"** said the voice of Zeppo, resonating through the minds of the Paladins. **"I was sealed here for millennia. You will have a week before starvation causes you to expire. Deal with it."**

Keith growled, but the voice was gone as quickly as it came. All he could do was sit in the cockpit of the Black Lion as the distress call went out, watching as the fleet did their best against Devilscourge, but ultimately were unable to destroy it.

"If only we could get back out there," Hunk said.

"We know," Pidge replied. "No need to repeat ourselves."

Tense silence gripped the Paladins for several minutes, the five out of options for how to escape the prison that held Zeppo for so long. They were unsure of what to do next except close their eyes, and perhaps wait it out. Maybe once they awoke some plan would form, or at least close the chasm between the present and their inevitable expiration.

 _Paladins, this is the Castle of Lions, do you read? Paladins, this is the Castle of Lions, do you read?_

"CORAN!"

Allura's cry of joy rattled the Paladins from their daze as the voice of Coran came through their speakers. "But how?"

 _The mice had noticed Voltron vanish into this hole, so I ignored this tremendous pain in my ribcage and gave pursuit in the Castle! Come to think of it, I don't remember anything after being put in that witch Merla's dungeon! Surely she must have done that to me as part of her torture!_

"Right," Hunk said. "Merla."

"Coran, can you get us out of here? We don't know where this place begins and where it ends!"

 _I left a beacon by the entrance of this pocket dimension. I'll hone in on your signal and we'll escape together!_ Sure enough, as soon as Coran finished speaking, a warp gate opened with the Castle of Lions entering through it.

"That's a sight for sore eyes," Lance said.

"Team," Keith said, "Let's get out of here!"

The trip through the tunnel was brief, revealing a shining rectangle amidst the endless darkness.

"The door!"

" **NO!"**

Standing before the door was a being clad in black armor with red eyes, wielding a massive black sword, equal in scale to Voltron. The armor was thick with points and sharp edges, accented by red lines on the arms and legs. Seeing the sight before him, Keith smiled.

"So much for waiting for us to expire, huh? And what's with that look?"

" **Did you really think that my true form would be an old man with a mustache? My true form is without boundary or limit! This is just…easier to destroy you with!"**

"That's why you have more edges than an angry teenager!"

"You're one to talk Keith!"

"Lance, shut up and focus!"

" **Your arrogance is only matched by the difference in power between you and I, Keith. I have seen countless heroes like you, in other stories, other realities. The difference between you and them is that you are not a hero! The hero of your story is in my thrall, and against me, you cannot win!"**

"Shiro may be under your control," Keith said, "but that just means I need to fight even harder to free him!"

" **If you fight just to have someone take your place, Paladin, then you will fail!"**

 **CLANG!**

The swords of the demonic being and the Defender of the Universe clashed, sending Voltron flying through the nothingness. The sheer force of the blow was beyond anything that the five had ever faced.

"I don't think we've ever hit something that tough!" Hunk said. "What do we do?

" **NOTHING! AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!"**

Without warning, the form of Zeppo appeared before Voltron, swinging its sword again. A mighty **CLANG!** echoed through the darkness, a surprise to Pidge and Hunk, unsure of how the sound traveled in this featureless void.

"We need a better plan than 'get knocked around until our weapons break!'"

"Hunk!"

"RIGHT!"

Voltron's sword was replaced with its shoulder-mounted cannon, which fired a massive beam at Zeppo. Before it could connect, however, the being vanished, before reappearing in front of Voltron.

"FIRE!"

Another blast at point-blank range missed Zeppo, but when he didn't immediately reappear, the group tensed, eschewing the cannon for the sword.

"We can't hit him!" Lance said. "What's our move?"

 _I have a suggestion!_

"Go ahead Coran," Allura said.

 _Our stated goal is to trap Zeppo here and cut him off from his power, correct?_

"Yes, but what does…"

 _What we need to do is attack him with an energy frequency similar to that of the gate. If my calculations are correct, the Castle of Lions can temporarily energize Voltron with enough energy to seal Zeppo off from the Quintessence allowing him to infect our native dimension!_

"Yeah," Hunk said, "but what about us?"

 _There's a 50/50 chance that the reaction either kicks us back to our own dimension, sealing the door behind us or leaves us stranded here, with no way back._

" **You're the reason they tried to escape!"**

Zeppo's form lunged for the Castle of Lions, only to be repelled by a barrage of laser fire, which it deflected effortlessly with a wave of its hand.

" **My power is endless Paladins! Yours is a thimble in comparison to mine!"**

"We'll see about that!" Keith said, dashing towards Zeppo before it could attack the Castle of Lions, only for it to vanish again.

As it appeared again, Voltron swung its sword, met by the sword of Zeppo. The force sent Voltron flying, with their opponent vanishing as a blast from the robot was fired at the self-proclaimed god.

"None of our regular attacks are working! We don't have any other way to stop him!"

"Well, we know what we signed up for!"

* * *

"This is getting ridiculous!" Shiro said. "Merla! Let's use it!"

"Right! DIMENSIONAL SPLITTER!"

Within the hand of Devilscourge formed a massive blade of pure white energy, extending an impossible distance. A battlecruiser saw the machine and attempted to fire, only for the blade to strike it, splitting the starship in half with a massive explosion soon following.

"Sir!" a helmsman yelled to Taizon. "We don't have anything capable of taking that thing down!"

"Where are the Druids?"

 _We are here. This thing…is an extension of Zeppo, but we can bind it while we perform our task._

"Do it! Conventional weapons are proving ineffective!"

The circular craft that was the Druid ship flew before the wreckage of the battlecruiser in front of Devilscourge. Then, without warning, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the enemy machine, holding it in place.

"AHH!"

 _They are frozen. Begin the ritual._

"Your magic can't hold me Galra!" Merla yelled. "Devilscourge shares the same power as Zeppo! Your power is nothing compared to his!"

Without warning, the electricity that seemed to bond Devilscourge in place was sent away, the white sword it held slamming into the ship of the druids before they could do anything else.

"Sir, the druids! Our entire plan hinged on them!"

"Remaining ships hailing us sir! They're all requesting orders!"

Taizon stood frozen on the bridge of his ship, unsure of how to reply. Looking on at the unstoppable machine and the futile attempts of the Bladeknights to attack it, he clenched his fists.

"We still have Voltron on our side! We can still win!"

"What?"

"Attention all ships!" Taizon began. "Voltron is fighting Zeppo, same as us! We still have a chance at victory, but only if we can distract this abomination long enough for Voltron to sever the link between Zeppo and Drule! Continue fighting! If we die, we die for the glory of the Galra Empire against this evil!"

* * *

"We're only going to get one shot at this," Keith said. "Be prepared."

"Keith!" Lance said. "You're really going to go through with it?"

"Defenders of the Universe, remember? The alternative is letting Zeppo snuff out _trillions_ of lives."

"I'm with you Keith," Hunk said.

"Same here," Pidge added.

"And I as well," Allura said. "Perhaps fortune will shine on us today."

A bolt of energy that struck Voltron, sending it flying into the Castle of Lions, answered Allura's wish. In front of the castle appeared Zeppo, sword drawn and prepared to strike.

" **No one leaves here without my permission!"**

"Everyone, now!"

All five Paladins placed their bayards into their respective slots, forming a sword of fire in Voltron's hand. As the blade was raised, the Castle of Lions moved in front of Voltron.

"Main cannon, FIRE!"

" **Your weapons are useless against me, Paladins!"**

To Zeppo's shock, the blast did not strike him, but rather the blazing sword of Voltron, charging it with a blinding glow.

"LET'S TAKE HIM DOWN!"

"RIGHT!"

The blinding light stunned Zeppo as the blade connected with his blade, drowning the entire void in an endless white light.

* * *

"Shiro! Something's happening! The…the Dimensional Splitter!"

Without warning, the glowing blade vanished as the monitors in Devilscourge shut off, the lights going with it. The sight was not unnoticed by the Galra.

"Sir, look! The enemy! It's…crumbling! Literally!"

Like rocks turning to dust, the seemingly invulnerable metal of Devilscourge began to crumble and collapse into nothing, causing Shiro and Merla to scream. Once their vessel crumbled to dust, nothing would protect them from the endless void of space.


	12. Divorce

The white light pounded Keith's eyes as he looked on at the aftermath of the blow. For a brief moment, he saw himself, or versions of himself, across dozens if not hundreds of other realities. Young, old, haggard, immaculate, all of them seemed to reflect him.

In all the cases, there was always a hero, a weapon, and a woman. He would not let evil stand; he could not. He would fight evil to the end with every last fiber of his being.

"Keith!"

Looking up, Keith found himself still sitting in the Black Lion, staring up at the blue sky of Drule. Or rather, they noticed the massive beam of energy shooting into the blue sky.

"What's going on?"

 _Pure Quintessence it seems!_ Coran replied. Looking to his left, Keith saw the Castle of Lions floating high in the air, a safe distance from the energy beam.

"How?"

 _When we severed the link between Zeppo and Drule, the Quintessence powering the doorway seems to have dissipated. Like a pipe if someone cuts it in the middle. Its contents need to go somewhere._

"What about Shiro? Him and Merla…"

 _There's no need to worry._

Turning Voltron around, Keith saw the forms of the Bladeknights, their armor glistening in the light of the energy beam.

"It is done," Idolo said. "Zeppo has been banished from this dimension once again."

"Yes," Allura said, "but how?"

"Whatever you did in that portal," Dorma began, "severed the link between Zeppo's prison and Drule. Look behind you for proof."

Turning around, the Paladins noticed the countless shards of mirror that lay on the grass, reflecting nothing but the light of the Quintessence back at them. Looking on at them, Dorma's machine nodded.

"The energy feedback destroyed the prison and left no link to our world. Zeppo is trapped now that the door was closed.

"Zeppo sure," Keith said, "but what about Shiro and Merla?"

Extending an open arm, Iodolo's machine revealed a bubble of energy that held two human sized forms. Keith recognized them instantly.

"Shiro! Merla!"

"You…found them alive?" Lance asked.

* * *

 _Devilscourge is falling apart! Hurry!_

"When Zeppo's power left this dimension, Devilscourge returned to the rock and metal that it was formed from. That would have left both of them in the icy void of space to die a brutal death of asphyxiation. Luckily, our machines have emergency measures to save pilots. Bladeknights were a rare commodity to train, so it was vital to ensure they survived."

 _What are you doing?_

 _Galra, we have fulfilled our end of the bargain. Now fulfill yours. Withdraw from this sector!_

* * *

"They really left?

"That was the arrangement."

The five Paladins, along with Coran, rushed out from their machines to tend to their friend, and their prisoner. Unsure of what to expect, Keith saw Shiro open his eyes, looking on at the group.

"Keith?"

"Shiro! You're alive!"

"Alive?" Shiro asked. "What happened? Last I remembered, I was captured along with Coran, and…"

"And placed under the mind control of Queen Merla," Coran said. "Yes, I know. "It appears that the extreme shock your mind went under freed you of her control."

"What?"

"The same thing happened to me. Once the shock freed me, I was returned to normal...with no memory of how I acted during the time hypnotized."

"So I'm back to normal?"

"The mental abilities given to the royal family by Zeppo tend to not leave lasting effects over long periods of time," Dorma explained. "You should be fine, although you may experience brief spells of vertigo for a few days."

"Good to know," Shiro said, standing alongside the others, patting Keith on the shoulder.

"You saved me. Again. I can't thank you enough."

"Shiro, you know you've saved me more times than I can count. I'm just trying…to pay you back."

"I'm glad you were here."

The stirring of the second pilot interrupted the conversation as Merla rose to her feet, looking on at the Paladins. Lance could only look on at the woman who a few hours ago he was going to literally marry, standing before him with shaky legs. What could he say? Blame? Anger? Forgiveness? How much was she and how much was Zeppo?

"KEITH!"

"W…what?!"

To Lance's shock, Merla ran not to Lance, but to Keith, holding him close and sobbing. Keith appeared shocked, but soon relented, holding her head.

"Keith! I'm so sorry! I just wanted my people to be whole again! I didn't care what I had to do! And now they're all, and Drule is…WAHHH!"

Sobbing, Keith could only hold Merla close as the Queen of the Drule sobbed into his chest. Still, he shook his head at what he had heard.

"You allied yourself with Zeppo, knowing what it could do. You lied to me. You used your mind…"

"No I didn't! Not to you! I love you! I want to spend the rest of my life with you! I only agreed to marry Lance because I feared you were dead, and the Drule needed a king! But my people are gone! Don't make me lose you too!"

Lance could only stand dumbfounded as Keith looked on at Merla, shaking his head.

"Maybe in another world, where you and I met…under different circumstances. But I can't love you after knowing what you would do to the universe. I'm sorry."

"But Keith?" Merla asked. "I love you. Don't you love me to?"

"I did, and I wanted you to love me too," Keith said, kissing Merla on her forehead. "But I can't now."

"This all very lovely," Dorma said, before restraining Merla's arms in metal shackles, "but you will never be free again cousin. Paladins, we will collect the shards of the mirror and take Merla to Stokor where she will be imprisoned for the rest of her life."

"And you?" Hunk asked, confused as to what the Bladeknights were actually doing.

"As you can tell Yellow Paladin," Dorma said, "I am a member of the Drule royal family. My brother Hazar fell in battle today. With Merla in prison, I will return to my duties as a Bladeknight until age or battle take me. The royal family and our contract with Zeppo will die with us."

"What?"

"Our blood is cursed. This will end the curse for good. Thank you Paladins, for all your help."

"You know," Pidge said, "we could really use your help against the Galra."

"Yes," Iodolo interrupted, "but we are honor-bound not to interfere in their affairs so that we can prevent threats like Zeppo from striking the universe. The task of freeing it from the Galra's tyranny falls to you. Bladeknights! Let us gather the shards and then depart!"

As the Bladeknights headed for their machines and departed, the Paladins could only stare on at the stream of Quintessence flying into space. Before they left, Keith couldn't help but ask "but what about Drule?"

"The ill-gotten energy from Drule will flood out until the world is reduced to the dead husk it was before," Dorma said. "It will take millennia before it can support life again. It's like us," she said, looking at Merla, "dead for a noble cause. Drule and its royal family will embrace its ultimate fate, to be forever alone among the cosmos."

None of the Paladins had a response.

* * *

"You let Voltron escape?!"

"Zeppo…was defeated ma'am," Taizon said to Haggar, kneeling before her in the same room where he originally met the leader of the Druids along with Yurak. Like before, her expression was stern and stoic, never betraying her emotions.

"Yes, he was. He will not menace us again for some time, if ever. Now answer the question. You let Voltron escape?"

"The late Commander Yurak," Taizon said, "obtained the help of the Paladins to defeat Zeppo, in exchange for free passage. Yurak…was an honorable warrior, and I intended to see his agreement through to the end."

Haggar nodded at this, her yellow eyes burning a metaphorical hole through Taizon, who did his best to remain stoic. Finally, she nodded.

"Yurak gave his life in service to the Galra Empire. It is right he be remembered as an honorable warrior. You however, still must serve us, Commander Taizon."

"Anything, ma'am."

"You will take command of the anti-Voltron task force Yurak left. Reading your reports, I see you have objections to the weapons we're fielding."

"Against Voltron, yes, ma'am. Our standard issue fighters are no match for Voltron compared to the power of stronger mobile weapons. Meanwhile the Wraith proved a match for Voltron and similar designs that Yurak was testing would tip the scales of the conflict in our favor."

"Then you shall have them," Haggar said. "Now go. Make the Galra Empire proud, and do not let Voltron escape again."

Taizon nodded, and walked off. As he did so, he saw three Galra officers in uniforms all facing him.

"May I help you?"

"As per the direct order of the crown," the first Galra said, "you, Commander Taizon, are hereby awarded the Galra Black Star of Valor, in recognition of your efforts. You have also been advised to not rest on your laurels."

Opening a small box, one of the officers pinned the medal to Taizon's uniform and offered a salute.

"Veprit Sa."

"Veprit Sa."

As he headed back to the starship, Taizon looked on at the medal that adorned his uniform, and smiled.

 _Yurak my friend. I won't squander the opportunity you gave me!_

* * *

Keith looked on at the stars from the window outside his room and sighed heavily. He couldn't help but think of the words that Dorma had said before she left the planet to return to Stokor.

 _Our ultimate fate, to remain forever alone among the cosmos._

"Keith?"

Turning around, Keith saw Allura holding a small pocket of water, looking out at the stars. Instinctively, he asked "How's Shiro?"

"The medical computers seem to agree with Dorma's initial response. He has no long term damage to his brain or nervous system."

"That's good to hear."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Keith asked, half-heartedly forcing a laugh.

"You seemed troubled ever since we returned. I know you feared being alone, and I'm sorry that everything with Merla ended the way it did."

"I couldn't fall in love with someone who wanted to destroy the known universe," Keith joked.

"And yet you still feel worried."

"It's selfish," Keith said. "I wanted to prove everyone wrong, Lance, all those dumb kids who said I was gay, but in doing so, I nearly let her unleash Zeppo on the universe. Maybe I'm destined to be alone."

"You're not destined to do anything you don't want to," Allura said. "Father would always say that to me. Destiny is a guiding hand, not immovable binds. You will be guided to someone eventually, I know it."

Keith nodded, looking out at the stars. "The universe is a big place."

"That it is. But our enemy will not rest while we ponder who we will spend our lives with."

"You're right," Keith said. "Come tomorrow, we need to be back on the trail and fighting the Galra."

"Good night Keith," Allura said. "Don't worry about finding someone. Worry about the task at hand."

As she walked out of the room, the Altean woman smiled.

"Besides, the person for you may be closer than you think."

* * *

"Lance? You OK?"

Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro all looked on at the glum looking Lance as he stabbed the food goo in front of him with his spoon. They were unsure of how to respond. For his part, Keith looked measured, ignoring Lance as he focused on his food, while Allura didn't know what to tell him.

"I was supposed to get married, and then I find out she didn't even like me. My life has become a soap opera!"

"Little late on that front," Keith said. "Our whole lives are…"

"Oh be quiet wife stealer!"

"How is it my fault? Would you really have married Merla after everything she did?"

Lance only stared at the goo in front of him, sighing heavily. "I thought she was Mrs. Red Lion. We clicked. Are the ones that say yes gonna be insane?"

"You know what they say about birds of a feather," Pidge said before Lance went up to her.

"Really, Pigeon? Well this eagle is going to find a majestic eagle for his nest. And next time I won't be fooled by some sob story!"

"He's back," Hunk said with a chuckle.

"So, Hunk," Shiro said between bites of goo, "what were Coran and I like when we were hypnotized?"

"You said some really nasty things," Hunk said. "Coran tried to beat me up, and you kept talking about how much you hated me."

"Well, no wonder I don't remember any of it then," Shiro said.

"Huh?"

"It wasn't me talking if I said I hated you. Because I don't. If It wasn't for you guys, I would probably just be some mindless puppet of Merla."

"And I as well," Coran said.

"Well you're the reason we were even able to defeat Zeppo," Allura said.

"Me?"

"If it wasn't for you," Keith said, "we could have never escaped that prison dimension. Not to mention that you were the one who gave us the idea to use the energy frequency to close the opening to the prison dimension.

"Coran's the true hero of the hour."

"To Coran!" Shiro said, raising a glass.

"To Coran!"

A tear began to well up in the eye of the mustachioed Altean, as he sniffled a bit. "I'm…just doing my job Paladins."

"Still," Hunk said, "Lance and Keith get seduced by alien conquerors and here I am cleaning up."

"I thought you had someone," Pidge said.

"Yeah, but it's nice to be noticed sometimes, you know?"

"You mean like with the two furry princesses?"

"Do we have to bring that up again?"

* * *

 _Darkness._

 _They think that all this darkness will keep me at bay. The boy, Keith, thinks he has won. He is a fool. All the realities, all his names. I have faced him before and I will face him again._

 _I have faced darkness before._

 _And I have gotten out._


End file.
